Don't Let Go
by LunarWolf
Summary: [Author back from the dead!] Two years later, Sarah rediscovers what it's like to fall in love...and Jareth has issues.
1. I Can't Believe This Moment's Come

Don't Let Go 

Chapter One: I Can't Believe this Moment's Come 

Sarah stared at Christian wistfully. His dark, almost black hair was haphhazardly swept to to the side as he tilted his head back and laughed with his group of friends. She liked watching him; his eyes were a friendly shade of blue, and his face lit up like fireflies in the summer twilight, bringing a bit of hope and joy to her admittedly pathetic existence. 

Two years since the Labyrinth. Two. Two years since dancing in that blasted ballroom and almost being seduced by the Goblin King's song. Two years, and she'd pretty much gone backwards to stay in place. Before the Labyrinth, she was a shy dreamer; after the Labyrinth, she was an even more isolated dreamer. 

How often do most people actually come into contact with their dreams, anyhow? Hell, did any of them have dreams beyond winning the big football game or scoring that chick with the nice tits or making loads of money so that they'd never have to feel insecure again? High school was proving to be a chore, as Sarah held onto her fantasies and dreams while others growed up into adults. 

It confused Sarah, really. She felt that the Labyrinth had made her more mature, more adult. Yet fantasy stuck with her with the tenacity of those Fireys, and was just as disturbing. So was she more mature than everyone else, or was she more a child than they'd ever been? 

Just to get it all out of her system, she'd once written a paper on her world, interlaced with the fantastical elements that always seemed to weave their way in. The paranoid feeling of being watched, the knowledge that something more than what met the eye existed, the comforting, cool feeling of the night air on her skin, the magic inherent in simply living... Then the teacher suggested she read it to the class, and staring at all those expectant eyes she swallowed, and stood, and read it out in a slightly trembling voice. She'd collapsed in her chair wearily afterwards, steeling herself for further isolation from any type of teenager interaction. 

When the teacher asked for comments and thoughts, Christian was the one who raised his hand. Christian, not star athlete, but pretty damn good, and who actually seemed to have a mind that surfaced every so often. He'd raised his hand, and Sarah bowed her head down. All it would take was one sneer from Christian, and her already minimal human contacts would drift away. 

"I think it's great that she still has a sense of wonder about the world." 

Sarah had raised her head to meet his friendly grin. 

"I mean, so many of us grow up, and strive to leave behind most everything that helped create us. She's got that innate goofiness about life, and it's...well, actually it's kinda refreshing." 

Sarah stared at Christian, and hadn't stopped since. 

She felt guily though, almost as though she were stalking him. It was only her eyes that followed him though. She actually took great pains to avoid him, because that interested look in his eyes didn't bode well for her. 

It took her a month to finally admit to herself that she liked him. 

It took her another month to try to meet his gaze and smile, instead of freezing in place like a deer staring into headlights, every time he walked around the corner and saw her. 

By then, he'd already lost interest, and avoided her with the same fierce determination that she'd displayed early on. 

And if anything, Sarah was a faithful girl. It'd taken her a good year to shut away the memories of the Goblin King, to erase his name from her mind and heart. It looked as though getting over Christian would take as much of her time and energy. 

"You know what your problem is?" Canaret said around a bit of her sandwich. "You crush too hard." Sarah glanced at her friend, one of the very, very few she had. The girl was wearing a black leather trenchcoat over her short black skirt, and complemented the outfit with fishnet stockings. 

"A crush implies that it's a light, casual thing." Sarah poked at her french fries moodily. "This is more, unfortunately." 

Canaret crinkled her nose. "Oh, come off it. So you're in love?" 

Sarah paused, and looked at her friend consideringly. At last, she said,"I don't know. All I know is that when someone manages to dig through the outside, their thorns and claws make it impossible to yank them out without forcible damage." 

Canaret grimaced and looked at her tomato and beef sandwich. "Thanks for the graphic description." 

Sarah jammed her fork into the cafeteria's mystery meat. "That's what it feels like, Canaret. That's what it feels like." 

The gothic blond paused. Then she said,"Well, you're good with words, at any rate." 

A small smile crept across Sarah's face. "That, my friend, I'll grant you." 


	2. It's So Incredible That We're Alone

Don't Let Go 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Whoops. I forgot the disclaimers in the last chapter. Well, if I had any share in creating the strange beauty that is the Labyrinth, I would be simply the most smug person on this planet. Since I'm not smug, (to the contrary, I'm quite pathetically humble) one can deduce that I have nothing to do with the Labyrinth. Translation to the suits: Please don't sue me! 

On with the show! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Two: It's So Incredible That We're Alone 

The sky overhead was darkening rapidly with hints of lightning scattered in the distance. Sarah swung by the library to return a few books she'd checked out for light reading. Her social calendar was pretty empty, and books were a fine way to pass the time. Besides, going to the library put off the inevitable encounter at home. 

The library shelves were dusty with lack of use, and many of the books had cracked spines and yellowed, jagged pages. Stepping between the wooden creaking shelves effectively transported Sarah to another world. The dampened colors reminded her of what had once been in the Labyrinth, despite her attempts to block out the thoughts. After all, wasn't it time she got over that? Shecouldn't even be certain that it had really happened. What if it had merely been some strange combination of stress and out of whack hormones, causing her to hallucinate? It was silly to hold onto such a fantasy world, and even sillier to have woken up in the real world with a very genuine sense of regret about the Goblin King. 

Sarah pulled an aged book from the shelf and gently flipped through it, taking care not to rip the already loosened pages. The Goblin King was the single most silly thing about the whole business. As if- 

"Sarah?" 

Sarah jerked her head up, feeling her features freeze as Christian stared at her uncertainly. He lowered his backback to the grey carpeting and inhaled sharply, glancing at her from the corner of his blue eyes. Her mind went blank, and her throat was too constricted to let anything beyond a gurgled,"Hm?" out. She couldn't seem to move her body to face him, not with her legs as stiff as they were. Nothing about her appearance betrayed the fact that her heart had just broken a new speed record, beating away at her ribs like a fluttering bird searching for freedom. 

He hesitated, then, as though grasping for some conversational anchor, asked with a nod at the book in her hands,"What're you reading?" He raised his gaze to meet hers, smiling uncertainly but gamely. 

_A lovely story about a family torn apart in the Civil War, with the mandatory love story imbedded and a tragic ending for one of the characters. I think you might like it. Wanna take a look?_ "I'm just looking," she said stiffly instead as she replaced the book onto the shelf, cringing internally at her response. She sounded like a cold bitch! Why weren't her brain and mouth coordinating for once in her life? 

Christian waited, but when Sarah said nothing further, he gave a small smile and averted his eyes. "Right. Um, see you." He raised his hand up in a half-wave and strode away, hoisting his denim backback over his strong shoulder. 

She watched him leave, and her throat finally loosened as he left her line of sight. While she was sorely tempted to howl with frustration, she settled for a heavy sigh. "Damn," she said quietly, and dropped her head against the musty bookshelves. "Damn, damn, damn." She groaned and pulled back a little and dropped her head against the bookshelves again. "Sarah, why can't you do anything right?" 

Books held little appeal at the moment, so she retreated from the dim library and headed back home. The street was quiet enough as the clouds overhead rumbled. A few stray droplets of rain fell as Sarah stepped up the stairs and entered the house. 

The inside of the house smelled of macaroni and cheese; Karen had been lazy again. Sarah sighed. 

"Sarah, is that you?" Karen stepped out of the kitchen as Toby meandered around her legs. Sarah smiled at Toby, and his angelic face lit up. He ran to her and threw his arms around her legs. She bent at the waist and hugged him back, then fell into a crouch and looked at him in the eyes. 

"And how's my Toby?" 

"Good," the four year old finally said, after giving it some serious consideration. 

Sarah grinned. "So you've been good, huh? What'd you do today?" 

Toby gave this some more careful thought, then responded,"Played with Merlin. Went to the park with mommy." He smiled a dazzling, warm smile and hugged his sister again. 

"Sarah," Karen broke in. Sarah raised her eyes and stared levelly at the woman, who looked uncomfortable. "Well, I was wondering how your day went." 

"It was all right." Sarah dropped her gaze and let Toby have a smile full of unconditional love. 

Karen hesitated, then added,"So school's going all right then?" 

Sarah made a noncommittal noise. 

"How about your social life? Anything new there?" Karen asked, fishing for something tangible from this stranger who shared a house with her. 

Sarah gave Toby one final pat and gently shoved him towards the living room where his plastic toy truck awaited. She stood up and grabbed her backpack. "Karen, nothing new has happened," Sarah said wearily. "Trust me, my life is the same as it's always been. You don't have to ask me questions like that all the time." 

"But, Sarah, I was just..." Karen sighed haplessly and ran a hand through her hair. "I want to know about your life, Sarah. I just feel like-" _we're strangers_. 

"Karen, don't bother." Sarah headed towards the stairs. 

"Don't just walk away from me, Sarah!" Karen exclaimed, and reached out a hand to Sarah's shoulder. Sarah wrenched away from her and glared at her. Karen's temper rose. "I was just trying to do my job-" 

"Like I said, don't bother." Sarah's dark eyes became even darker. "No one's been my mother for quite a while." 

"Now look here, young lady, I've put up with a lot from you, and I'm just trying to _talk_ to you!" 

"Then talk. Don't pry." Sarah pulled away and ran up the stairs. 

"Sarah!" Karen yelled, then sighed with frustration. "That girl..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: How did that go? I went and rewatched the movie over the summer, and I realized that Sarah is actually a pretty spoiled, self-centered girl, typical of a teenager. Her step-mother isn't evil, but the two clearly don't get along. I've read fics where Karen (or Louise, or whatever name people give her) is the step-mother from hell, and fics where Sarah and Karen suddenly get along great after the Toby/Labyrinth incident. I decided to see where I could go with the two, and I think it works. What do you think? 


	3. There's So Much to Be Said and Done

A/N: And here's another short little slice from my story. I think you'll all like this one too. I've turned into a review junkie...this is so bad for me! Oh, would anyone be willing to help me format this damn thing? I've got Lotus Word Pro, and the .htm formatting doesn't seem to work when I upload (i.e. The italics tags in the previous chapter. *sigh*). And when I save the file as .doc, ff.net is extremely...reluctant to upload it. LOL I guess I'll keep trying. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Three: There's So Much to Be Said and Done 

Sarah closed the door behind and dropped her bag to the floor. How many more scuffles did they have to have before Karen accepted that A) Sarah had a mind, and B) she wasn't about to share. Sarah went over to the bed and flopped down, causing the spreads to shift in slightly messy ways. She took a few deep breaths and tried very hard not to scream. Why wasn't anything going well today? All the words in the world weren't useful if they slipped out her mouth and messed everything up, over and over and endlessly over again. 

With a sigh she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her arms splayed out to her sides. Idly, she wished she had a fan or something that she could watch as it moved, because staring at the ceiling didn't do a single thing to quell the thoughts spinning madly in her mind. Unfortunately, really. A distraction would be nice- 

No, a distraction wouldn't be nice. Not if it came in that form. Warily, Sarah turned to face her dresser mirror, and stared at her own suspicious eyes. Call it paranoia, call it delusion, call it what you will, but after the Toby incident she'd developed a severely cautionary apprehension of mirrors, more so in the dark than in the day. Sometimes, when she looked at her reflection at night, she couldn't tell if it was really her staring back out. And if she made the mistake of staring at her own eyes...she got caught, and couldn't look away. 

She didn't think it was narcissism, if only because when it happened, the quality of her looks were the last thing on her mind. It was the nagging suspicion that whoever looked back out of the mirror, it wasn't her. 

Sarah grabbed a light jacket and threw it over the mirror, blocking most of the revealing pane of glass. She exhaled with relief as the steady weight of being watched was lifted. 

She went to her bookbag and pulled out a binder and a textbook. There was work to be done. And even though Sarah was fairly capable when it came to humanities and arts, math left her struggling. When she got a concept, she _got _it. In the meantime, though, it took her a while to grapple at the formulas, the logic behind doing this as opposed to doing that. Every once in a while, the concept would suddenly fall into place, and she could easily be the best in the class in that concept. Unfortunately, these flashes of insight occurred usually when the class had moved on, and so Sarah often found herself two or three concepts behind everyone else. She suspected she was not at fault; she wasn't stupid, by far. It just took her a while to get things the way they were taught. 

She sat on her bed and started working at her problem set, ignoring the growling from her empty stomach. She couldn't go down and face Karen, not just yet. The tempers needed to cool before they were thrown together again. 

As the night progressed, Sarah felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up, one by chilling one. The steady stare from someone's pair of eyes bored into her back. Sarah sighed with exasperation and looked around the room, trying to find the guilty owner in the few dolls she'd kept in her last big cleaning, or perhaps the single photo she kept of Laura, her birth mother, who was still trying to make it big; or perhaps it was just nerves. She didn't dare consider the alternatives. 

When she couldn't find the source, she turned back to her textbook and tried to concentrate. Failing that, she sighed loudly and slammed her book shut. She swung off the bed and fled the room, deciding that facing Karen was the lesser of two evils. But an evil to be avoided, if Sarah could just tiptoe and stalk into the kitchen without running into anyone. 

No such luck. 

"Sarah, can we talk?" Karen said, approaching from the living room. Sarah eyed her warily, and tried to fix her body language so that she didn't come across as sulky. She wanted Karen to treat her like an equal, since they couldn't build a mother-daughter bond. However, Karen had finally decided to really try to treat Sarah like her own daughter, leaving Sarah more frustrated than not. 

"Sure. I guess." Sarah turned slightly towards the kitchen. "But can I get something to eat? I'm starving." 

A look of annoyance passed briefly across Karen's face. "All right. You can heat up some of the macaroni, if you want." 

Sarah shook her head. "No thanks. I'm more in the mood for a sandwich." 

This time the look of annoyance stayed on Karen's face. "Sarah, if you refuse to eat with us-" 

"Karen," Sarah halted calmly, moving along the kitchen counter to open the refrigerator. "You wanted to talk to me?" she reminded the woman, hopefully saving herself from a lecture on family togetherness. 

Karen openly gaped at Sarah with disbelief. Then, struggling to recompose herself, she gritted,"Yes, yes I did. Sarah, look, I'm not trying to pry." Karen shrugged helplessly. "I just...I just want us to stop being strangers." 

It was the same speech as always. Sarah had this one timed. If Sarah lost control and spoke her mind, the fifteen-minute peptalk easily turned into a two hour long scream and rage session. She really, really didn't have time for the two hour scream fit, so she simply nodded at appropriate points and let her mind wander as she chewed her ham and lettuce sandwich. Sometimes, Karen would walk away from the talk feeling as though she'd accomplished something, and could be counted on to leave Sarah alone. That prospect was particularly appealing, and Sarah hid a smile. 

"...We _do_ live in the same house, after all. And I know it's been rough, but if we don't work at it, we'll never be a family unit." Karen gestured helplessly with her hands. "I know you love Toby. I never thought you two would become that close, but I think it's wonderful," Karen looked slightly bitter as she said that. "I just wish you wouldn't shut me and your father out. We're here for you, and your poor father tries so hard. We went Christmas shopping last year, and he didn't have the faintest clue what to get you. You've become a stranger to us, your family, Sarah. I know that as a teenager, you have lots of things on your mind, but we're here to help." 

Sarah swallowed a yawn. This would be winding down soon, judging by the look of defeat on Karen's face. Nope, this time Karen wasn't walking away with a sense of satisfaction. She knew Sarah wasn't listening, but she kept trying all the same. Sarah almost admired the woman's tenacity after a twisted fashion. 

Finally, Karen's speech ran down, and she stared at Sarah quietly. Sarah finished the last bite of her sandwich and drank the last drop of water. Staring at the glass in her hand, Sarah asked,"May I go do homework now?" 

At a loss, Karen sighed. "Yes, you may go do your homework." She made a stab of connecting with this daughter she'd inherited. "So, do you have a lot to do? Papers, tests?" 

Sarah shrugged as she walked around her stepmother. "It's just schoolwork." 

Leaving a perplexed Karen behind, Sarah retreated up the stairs and into her room. The minute her foot crossed the threshold, she frowned. Walking cautiously into the room, she closed the door behind her. 

She was so _sick_ and _tired_ of all these games. But did she have the courage to end them forever? She hesitated, considering. The thought of having to spend the rest of her life under this shadow was unbearable, and she walked over to the mirror. She pulled the jacket off and took a few steps back, staring at the reflection that masked someone other than herself. She finally said in a quiet, surprisingly steady voice,"I know you're there. Come out and face me, for once." 

Suspecting he had been there all this time was different than seeing him in the flesh. The Goblin King slipped through the mirror into her room, and leaned casually on the dresser, pushing aside a few impulse buys of nail polish and colored chapstick. She inhaled sharply, seeing him in his tight leather pants and poet's shirt. He had that same arrogant, self assured, lazy smirk on his aristocratic face. 

She smiled faintly. "Hello, Goblin King." 

His eyes widened mockingly. "So formal, Sarah." The words swirled in the room like an addictive aroma, saturating her soul. He licked his lips once and leaned forward slightly. "After all we've been through." 

Sarah smiled sadly and tilted her head at him, keeping her distance. "I don't have the right to your name." 

That gave the Goblin King pause, and he considered the woman-child with his beautiful mismatched eyes. "I have been generous." 

"I know." Where were all the words she'd practiced? Where were all the thoughts and hopes that she'd toyed with, daydreaming in class about how she could fix things? "You came." 

The Goblin King stretched out a hand and flipped it, revealing a crystal. He flipped his hand again, and another crystal appeared. These he began dancing them across his fingers, not looking at Sarah. "I came," he agreed in his arrogant voice. "Just as you wished." 

"I would prefer you grant a different wish." 

He paused in twirling his crystals and turned to stare at the girl. His face was curiously blank, disinterested, distanced. "Oh?" The single syllable was laden with so many thoughts and meanings. 

Sarah wanted to respond to those emotions, to give him the right answer this time. But she had no right, not after all this time. So she said quietly,"I would prefer you not watch me." 

The room stilled as two hearts skipped a beat. 

Turning his cool gaze back upon his crystals, he began juggling them, throwing them up in the air in time with the steady pounding of blood in Sarah's head. "Whatever gave you the idea that I watched you, mortal child?" asked the Goblin King with cold amusement. 

The coldness hurt, but Sarah didn't deny him the right to be so distanced. "You came," she responded simply. 

The Goblin King smirked and caught the crystal balls. He vanished them as he stood up, his thinly veiled menace filling the room. "I came," he crooned softly, eyes half-lidded. The words were dangerous now. "Just. As. You. Wished." 

Sarah swallowed and tried to quell the tears that threatened. "Look, I-" 

The Goblin King shot her a disgusted look. "You're pathetic." 

She stilled, dark eyes wide. Those words _hurt_. They hurt so much coming from him. She knew people thought it, whispered it around the corners of the school hallways, taunting her facelessly. To face that look on his face and _hear those words..._

He stepped gracefully aside to reveal the mirror. He passed one elegant hand over the glass, and the reflection of the room swirled, the colors mixing until an image appeared of- 

"Christian," Sarah breathed, confused. 

"I'll confess to watching you, if only for the amusement value." He smiled viciously. "Watching your pathetic attempts to interact with him- I was tempted to interfere, at first. To be as cruel as you can be. But you're succeeding well enough without my help." He glanced at the image of Christian. "You've twisted and churned his insides, and he still wants more." His velvet voice purred with indulgence. "I had once thought we were equals, Sarah." She looked at him with a pale face, and he leaned against the mirror lazily, sensuality rolling off his body in waves. She swallowed hard and fought tears. "But in cruelty...Ah, my dear, dear Sarah. In cruelty, _you_ are the one and only master." With a smirk and a twist of feathered wind, he was gone. 

Weakly, Sarah sank to the floor, and finally gave in to her tears. She bent over, silent sobs wracking her body. She had no right to feel regret, no right to feel anger; she had been the one to turn the Goblin King down in her fear of the possibilities. She'd moved on, and done her best to shut every memory of him away. 

She had no right to wish any more. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: So...what do you think? And if anyone's curious, the title of the piece and the chapter titles all come from 'Don't Let Go' by Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan. It's on the STK of Spirit: Stallion of the Something-or-other. Anyhow, I liked this song, and somehow decided it fit the story. Yep, I live in my own world... 


	4. It's Impossible Not to Be Overcome

A/N: Wow. People actually are reading my li'l story! Me feel special! Wai wai wai! *ahem!* Oh, right, okay, the voices in my head are reminding me that I need to uphold some level of decorum. *pauses* Well, screw that! 

As for the story, well, I'm just watching the characters unfold. I'm actually really happy that people seem to be enjoying my portrayal of the characters. *blushes* This humble one will try her best! 

And as for the situation with Christian/Sarah/Jareth, well...let's just wait and see, ne? Good lord, I just looked at the full lyrics of the song, and boy have I got my work cut out for me if I want to assign a line per chapter! Even if I use short chapters like the ones I have... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Four: It's Impossible Not to Be Overcome 

It was a little later when Sarah managed to pull herself up off the ground. She looked in the mirror warily, but it was her that stared back out the glass. She relaxed and stared at the girl in the mirror. Her long brown hair was limp and damp in spots, and her eyes were puffy and red. An odd smile quirked her lips. "Those actresses on TV make crying look so elegant," she commented absently, and laughed weakly, dropping her head down. She leaned on the dresser table. When had things spun so out of control? 

She lifted a heavy head towards the math homework still on her bed and stared at it, willing it to disappear. When it failed to comply she made her way to the bed and attempted to do it. Why was it that things never happened the way she wanted them to? 

She was still pondering that question when she awoke the next morning and got herself ready for school. Running down the stairs, she saw her father getting ready for work. "Morning dad." Sarah flashed him a friendly smile as she grabbed a red apple to eat on the way to the bus. 

"Morning sweetie," he answered automatically, glancing up from his newspaper. "Look, Sarah, before you run off-" 

"Can't talk, must go!" Sarah said as she dashed out the door. "Love you, talk to you later!" 

He stared as his daughter disappeared from view, his carefully thought out sentences crumbling to pieces in his mouth. 

"See?" Karen said briskly as she got Toby ready for preschool. "That girl avoids real discussions with a determination I wish she'd apply to other things as well. A girl that age should at least have some male friends, and certainly more female friends than that one Goth girl she hangs out with." Karen wrinkled her nose distastefully. "Maybe I'm just a little too conservative, but that Canaret girl doesn't look like the best influence for Sarah. That girl owns absolutely no normal clothes. Probably even Satanic." 

Her husband shot her a look. 

"Okay, okay," Karen backtracked, waving her hands in defeat. "I know that nowadays we're all supposed to just smile as our children go through phases and whatnot, but forgive me for being slightly worried about Sarah constantly hanging around with a girl who thinks spikes and collars are the height of good taste." 

He sighed. "Now, look, Karen..." 

Sarah took a flying leap over Ms. Patelli's garden and landed on the sidewalk. She spied the bus just ahead and scampered over to the door just as the driver put his hand on the lever that closed the door. He eyed her and gave a toothy grin. "Running a bit late today, Miss Williams?" Sarah gave him an exasperated sigh and made her way to an empty seat as the bus jerked into motion. 

Within a few hours, Sarah couldn't take it any more. Her teachers were all sniping at her, it seemed, and Canaret had skipped school again. Canaret didn't see much point in school, and occasionally cut class if she felt like it. She tried not to do it often because it meant that Sarah would have to fend off the loneliness by herself, which really didn't work so well. And today was a magnificently bad, bad day. To top it off, Sarah suspected she was PMSing. 

During lunch Sarah went off around the gym and just sat there, rocking herself back and forth on the concrete, trying to ignore the world and how painful it was to experience. A football toppled head over heels across her line of sight, and she blinked. 

"Oh, hey, Sarah," Christian jogged leisurely up. He averted his eyes. "Um, sorry to bug you. Tom has really bad aim." They stayed like that in silence for a few tense seconds. Then he bent down to pick up the football as Sarah reached out and picked it up. She handed it to him, and he took it, meeting her eyes briefly. He stood, and looked at her again, puzzled. "Sarah, are you okay?" 

Sarah let out a long, shuddering sigh and smiled weakly. "I've had better days." His blue eyes caught hers, and time slowed to a gentle background thrum. 

The spell was broken as a loud voice yelled,"Yo, Christian! Dude, what's keeping you?" 

Christian blinked and looked away. He lifted the football and hollered back,"Keep your boxers on, man! Give me a sec!" He turned to Sarah and grinned good-naturedly, tossing the football from hand to hand. "I gotta go. But, um," he looked at her seriously,"I hope whatever it is gets better soon." 

Her voice caught in her throat even as he turned away and jogged back to his friends. _Thank you_, she wanted to say. _I think I'm in love with you,_ she also wanted to say. The words wouldn't come forth and all she could do was watch stupidly as Christian was enveloped by his friends, strong hands pounding stout backs and husky voices raised in laughter. She dropped her head to her knees and made a small, whimpering noise. 

"Sarah, your pitiable inability to work that sharp tongue of yours is simply _astounding._" She jerked her head up to meet the Goblin King's cruelly laughing eyes. "And to think that I considered you an equal." 

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked quietly, her eyes darting to the distant playing field that suddenly seemed so close. "You'll be seen." 

He laughed and raised one patronizing finger. "I.." He paused as he dropped into a crouch by her side, and continued with a lazy smile,"Don't think so." His mismatched eyes slid over to the playing field and back to her face red with crying. "You see, humans have this _delightful_ little ability to rationalize anything. Either they'll see me and assume I'm some harmless maniac," his smile widened, revealing sharp, dangerous teeth,"Or they just won't see me." 

Sarah nodded slowly, trying not to let her body stiffen. "What do you want?" 

The Goblin King's gaze darkened, and his gaze seemed to go right through her to some far off distance. "The question is rather," he said softly,"as always, what do _you_ want?" 

"I thought I told you I wanted you to stop watching me." Sarah's voice trembled. 

The Goblin King waved that aside. "Yes, yes, I'm well aware of what you said yesterday. What I'm more interested in is what you really want." 

Sarah swallowed hard. "I will not make a bargain with you, Goblin King." He stiffened at her formal title for him, then relaxed and smiled seductively. 

"Oh, I want no bargain with you, dear Sarah." He added in a high, dreamy voice,"Chances are you'd break your word, at any rate." 

She flinched. "I'm not that untrustworthy." 

The Goblin King pinned her with a steady look. "But your words are dangerous," he said softly. 

She could barely hear him over the steady thudding of her pulse. "Why do you care what I want?" she asked finally. 

The Goblin King smirked. "Why, Sarah, I'm not telling if you don't tell first." She looked away, and he chuckled. "But then, that's hardly," he licked his lips,"_fair_." Sarah flinched. "I already know what you want." She turned to face him again, caution and interest warring across her face. He leaned his face close to hers, and suddenly she realized that they were breathing in time, inhaling and exhaling together. An almost soft expression danced across his face before it was replaced by distant amusement. "But I won't tell you what you should know already." 

Sarah couldn't move. If she so much as breathed out of sync, so much as batted an eyelash too quickly, he would move away and not kiss her. And she didn't know which she wanted more: To kiss him or to not kiss him. His lips were so close she could feel the air tingle between hers and his. 

He broke the spell by gently blowing at her lips, and pulled back, a sultry look on his face. She almost reeled back in her shock and confusion of emotions. She looked away and tried to get her ragged breathing back to normal. She turned a fierce look upon him. "Goblin King," she spat,"my business is none of yours. _Leave me be_!" 

"I'll help you." 

Sarah's mind skidded to a halt in the middle of the tirade it was formulating. "Huh?" 

The Goblin King smirked and nodded towards the field. "This is simply too pathetic. I can't have the person who defeated my Labyrinth be so...painfully inept at social affairs. If word got out, I would be known as the King who lost to a truly, truly inept foe." 

All the square pegs weren't fitting in the round holes. "You're going to help me with _him?_" 

"I know you'd much rather I stay out on the sidelines and watch," he raised one silencing finger to Sarah's half-started protest,"-And _watch,_" he emphasized,"As you live happily ever after with your boy. I know you expect me to rage and bluster, be some conniving villain, or perhaps quietly acquiesce to your desires. 

"Well, my dear," he said, tilting his head up to the sky dreamily,"I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations." 

And he was gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: ...*peeks out from behind hands* Is anyone there? 


	5. Will You Forgive Me If I Feel This Way?

A/N: *swallows nervously* Scattered Logic, _The Hooded Crow _ recommended _me?_ How's that for pressure? Barbarella and Gizmo: Thanks for taking the time to write an actual email. You too Scattered Logic, even if it puts me under enormous pressure. And Zabella: *grins* Glad to see you're enjoying the slight S/J interaction there. And to all the rest of you: I never, ever thought I'd get this much positive feedback. So thank you for feeding the scraggly dust bunny that occasionally moonlights as my ego. 

*fidgets* But the pressure to meet all your expectations...Gah!! As much as I thrive off the lovely reviews that trickle in, the knowledge that I have to earn it creates an adrenaline rush like nothing else (then again, I'm not a sports person, and I get carsick so rollercoasters don't do it for me...well, an adrenaline rush is an adrenaline rush.) God forbid I get writer's block...no death threats so far, and I'd like to keep it that way. ^_^ 

So, submitted for your approval, I give you... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Five: Will You Forgive Me If I Feel This Way? 

Sarah stared at the spot previously occupied by the Goblin King. Hysterical laughter bubbled up within her, and she kept a fierce lid on it. Most of the school rumors about her whispered that she was mentally unstable and adding fuel to _that_ particular fire was not something she needed. The Goblin King was going to _help_ her? 

Help her right off a cliff, perhaps. Just in case Christian was around to save her. 

Or maybe help her to some paralyzing drink before she went swimming. Just in case Christian was around to resuscitate her. 

She trembled and wrapped her arms tightly around her, trying to squeeze the conflicting joy from her body. She had no right to feel flattered that the Goblin King still had some interest in her activities, however twisted his interest was. To know that she had an effect on someone that powerful... 

Sarah slapped herself lightly on the cheeks. "C'mon, girl," she muttered to herself,"_Grow up!_" That sort of childish satisfaction was _precisely_ why she had such a big mess to sort out psychologically. 

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Sarah lurched to her feet, not enjoying the way her left eyelid was twitching. _Great. I've developed a tic from all the stress._ She rubbed at the eye as she made her way to class, trying to get it to stop. She stopped at a water fountain and bent to take a drink, closing her eyes to relax the muscles. 

"Dude, do you _like _her?" Sarah overheard. 

"I'm not really sure." Sarah froze into place as she heard Christian's voice, that voice which was distinctive only because she'd memorized each note his words rose and fell upon, tucked into the secret corners of her heart. Christian cast about for words as he and his buddy walked past, not noticing the figure bent stiffly over the fountain."I mean, I don't know her well enough to know, you know?" 

"Shit, man, I don't think anyone knows her all that well. C'mon, man, tell me. You like her, don't you?" 

"Oh, shut up," Christian said laughingly, and their voices faded as they headed further down the hallway, the students parting to give the two room to maneuver in. 

Sarah stood up numbly, her heart pounding and her head awash in heat. Christian liked somebody? Could that girl possibly- be _her_? 

Just thinking about it proved it positively ludicrous. She shook her head and smiled ruefully at her stupidity. Just because he'd been interested once, didn't mean he was still interested. And a boy like Christian had plenty of options. He didn't have to be stuck with some alien who somehow wound up in this school, floating through as though on a UFO. Sarah let out a chuckle, and blushed at the odd looks she got from passing students. Hell, she even stared up at the sky all the time. They probably all thought she was awaiting the mothership or something! 

Her smile softened into dreamy wistfulness. No, she wasn't awaiting some mothership at all. She just wanted...something. Something more than classes and books and stories. She could say that she wanted a fairy tale of her own, but she'd already done that. 

The last bell rang and Sarah reluctantly headed down the hallway to her next class. 

At the end of the day Sarah decided to walk home to clear her thoughts. It wasn't too far a walk, and she needed some fresh air, free of the taint of hope and betrayal. 

"Sarah!" Christian called, and she turned mutely to face him, her face stiff enough that the bewilderment she felt didn't show at all. He faltered, but jogged into place beside her. He looked down the street, then glanced briefly at her and the ground, in swift succession. "Mind if I walk with you?" He asked, his voice slurring on the clear notes Sarah was used to hearing. 

She shrugged stiffly and started walking. He hesitated, and matched her pace, his hands gripping the straps of his backpack like lifelines. The heavy, tense air hung between them in a swirling cloud of confusion and innocence. Sarah wracked her mind frantically for something to say, something to break the silence. Something light and airy, perhaps, with a hint of mischief. She could do that. Yes, she could. "Why are you walking with me?" she asked flatly, and strangled the urge to pound her head into the telephone pole. 

She watched him out the corner of her eyes, saw the expressions wrestle as they toppled one over the other on his face. Finally he sighed and gathered his thoughts. "Well, I was wondering if you could, y'know, help me with school." He flashed her a smile. 

Oh. 

That fleeting, small speck of hope that had risen in her heart choked, hovered, and dropped to her feet. _All right, so he wants school work help. Why else would someone go to the quiet and strange Sarah? How is that unusual? Well, Sarah, salvage the situation! Say something witty, charming; hell, say something _nice _for once! _"Why would you need _my _help? You're smart enough in all your classes." Okay, so that was maybe the most roundabout compliment, but maybe it counted? 

Judging by the way his mouth opened and shut as though he were a fish gasping for air as he flopped about on the dry dock, he probably didn't take it as a compliment. 

"Well," he said, struggling, his eyes darting everywhere but her stoic, frozen face. "Okay, I'm doing pretty well in most of my classes," he admitted. "But I've heard your stuff in English, and you're definitely good at that. So I was wondering if you'd be willing to proofread one of my papers. You know, the assignment for next week." He glanced at her briefly, gauging her reaction, of which of course there wasn't a visible one. He smiled teasingly. "Maybe you could even liven it up. You're pretty...creative," he said after pausing to search for the right words. 

Sarah's heart had shifted into high-gear pounding when he said he'd noticed her skills in class. Her excitement had admittedly plummeted a bit when he asked if she could proofread a piece, but hey, it was still testimony to his opinion to her skills, right? And that good opinion might spread to her other qualities. And then he'd smiled at her! She started smiling back, almost relaxing enough to loosen her frozen muscles. 

But then that last comment shot a chilling arrow through her soul, and she stumbled mentally. She was _creative?_ Why not just say he thought she was _insane,_ or maybe fifty one cards short of a full deck? _Liven it up my ass! _He was probably mocking her. Her heart plummeted and she suddenly discovered that it was getting difficult to breathe. "I see," she said stiffly. 

Christian shrugged uncomfortably and glanced away. "I mean, if you're busy, you don't have to," he said in an odd voice. "But, if you get the chance, could you read it over for me?" 

Sarah stared at him openly. "Do you have it with you?" she asked, a single eyebrow shooting up. To be able to touch something that belonged to him, to feel a connection, no matter how tenuous and temporary; if she ignored the fact that she was being used, most likely for entertainment value, she could almost say she was happy. 

Was he blushing? "Um, no. I'll get it to you tomorrow. Is that okay?" 

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure." She wanted to sing with joy. She had a legitimate excuse to talk to him! Legitimate excuse to see him, to let the vision of his smile sink into her memory without fear of being caught watching. 

He grinned widely. "Great!" 

They continued walking. Was he going to walk her all the way home? Sarah panicked. If she came home with a boy, Karen was bound to make a fuss and invite him in, and tell all sorts of embarrassing tales. Besides, didn't he live on the other side of town? "Aren't you done? Shouldn't you go home now?" 

....That was probably not the most tactful way to put it. She stared at the heavens exasperatedly, swallowing her frustrated howl. Too late, she realized that Christian would misinterpret her actions. 

His grin faltered. "Um, right." He stopped, and waved a hand uncertainly at her. "Right then. I'll be going. See you tomorrow!" 

Sarah watched as he fled, and when he was a good distance away she smacked her palm into her face and dragged it down. She tugged at her lips, wondering why they refused to cooperate with the thoughts in her brain. She sighed and headed home, wondering how long it would be before Christian completely gave up on her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *swallows nervously again* This gets harder and harder to write. *whimpers* I have the ending all thought out, heck, I even have a theme song for the end (y'know, just like the end credits of a movie go by to a song.). I'm just having difficulty connecting points A and B. It's not going to be a straight line, it's more going to resemble a sine curve. 

And you know I'm frazzled when I start making mathematical metaphors. I HATE math. Ick ick ick. 

Anyway, this chapter wasn't as...lyrical as the others, perhaps, but I'm hoping the awkwardness of Christian and Sarah more than make up for it. 


	6. Cuz We've Just Met Tell Me That's Okay

A/N: I just realized how incredibly crappy my summary is, and how amazing it is that with such a crappy summary, people are actually willing to give this piece a chance! Kudos to y'all! (And if anyone can think of a better summary, please drop me a line. ^_^) 

Shoutouts: Scattered Logic: Thanks. Okay, The Hooded Crow is nice. That doesn't make me any less nervous! 

Hooded Crow: *bows down in awe* I can't describe how wonderful your praise is. It's like, oh, I don't know, Orson Scott Card telling me to keep up the good work! This being only my second venture into fanficdom, I feel like such a newbie! 

Lady Jamie: *grins* thanks. I like my version of Jareth too. 

Cormak3032: Heh heh. Since I'm still 18, I have very, very strong memories of what it's like to be a messed up teenager. That helps to add to the Sarah/Karen dynamic, tho. 

Redaura: *blushes* Thanks. I have to say that, though Jareth is as sensuous as they come, I don't recall there being much innuendo in the movie itself. Trying to keep it real (at least, according to me ^_^). 

And to all the hordes of readers (or maybe just that small, cosy camp of coffee friends): Thanks. I cherish each and every review I get. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Six: 'Cuz We Just Met; Tell Me That's Okay 

The cafeteria filled to the brim with hungry students, each blissfully unaware of the disappointment they would reap once the food was glopped onto their trays. The smarter students, those who were able to form conjectures based on repeated experiences AKA patterns, brought sack lunches. In a far, isolated corner, sat two girls. The corner was no less well-lit than any other part of the cafeteria, but it seemed to radiate a darkness of solitude and gloom. Then again, that might have been due to the high volume of black the people in that area wore. Perhaps the clothes absorbed more light than there was to go around. Whatever the case, two figures picked at their sack lunches undisturbed by the masses. 

Sarah fidgeted nervously, and Canaret shot her a look. "Sarah, calm down. So he's gonna give you a paper. Big deal! Just keep your mouth shut, or at least try to be nice this time." Canaret laughed. "I can't believe you're so inept when it comes to talking to him! You're usually so good with words!" 

Sarah placed her stubborn chin into her palm and glared at Canaret. "Oh, do be quiet. I can't help it!" She closed her eyes, her eyebrows coming together as she frowned. "My brain completely freezes whenever he's within twenty feet of me. Walking side-by-side was a heretofore unprecedented phenomenon!" She sighed with frustration and opened her brown eyes. "I mean, there's just so much going on, my brain's about to short-circuit!" 

Canaret paused and glanced at her friend curiously. "What else is going on?" 

Sarah opened her mouth, then shut it and shook her head. "Nothing much. Just...stuff." 

"No, no, not 'just stuff.' I know you better than that." Canaret leaned in closer, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "So what else is distracting you from your painful obsession with the wonder-jock?" 

Sarah started indignantly. "I am _not_ obsess-" 

"Hey, Sarah," Christian called as he squeezed through the crowd of tables and chairs, ignoring all the speculative looks he received as people realized where he was headed. He waved a paper over his head conspicuously, and the eyes of the students around him dawned with understanding. They returned to their food, disinterested. "I have the paper," he said as he neared their small corner of the room, his blue eyes glancing uncertainly about. Most of the people in this corner had a strong preference for draping black clothes and silver spikes and chains. Not exactly the decor he was used to. 

Canaret waved him in. "Oh, don't worry, Christian. We don't bite." She grinned. "Unless, of course, that's what gets you off." 

Sarah turned bright red and groaned as she dropped her forehead into her hand. Christian stared at Canaret with wide eyes, and licked his lips uncertainly. "right's, Sarah," he said, quickly turning to the object of his pursuit. "I brought the paper." He handed it to her, and she skimmed through the first paragraph. 

She blinked. "You have a younger brother?" 

He grinned. "Yeah. He'll be coming in as a freshman after we graduate." Sarah nodded absently, reveling in the new tidbit of information she'd collected about him. He stood there uncertainly, then smiled gamely. "So, do you have any siblings?" 

"A brother." She shrugged. After a pause, Christian looked as though he'd speak, and she hastened to add,"He's -four." 

Christian grinned. "Wow. That's a big age difference!" 

Sarah smiled sardonically. "Well, my parents got divorced, and my dad remarried." 

"Oh." Christian's smile froze, and he glanced at Canaret uncertainly. She wasn't paying any attention however. She had a finger up in the air, and her mouth was counting numbers as she poked at _something_. "Um, I'm sorry to hear that. That your parents got divorced, I mean." He jammed his thumbs into the small pockets of his jeans. "Right, then, I'll see you. Thanks for helping with my paper." And he disappeared into the crowd. 

Sarah didn't even look at Canaret as she stared reverently at the stapled sheets of text before her. "Are you popping the bubbles of blood again?" 

"But they're so pretty," Canaret said dreamily, jabbing daintily at the air. 

"...You really need to get off that medication." Sarah shook her head and reached out one careful hand to pick up the paper. She skimmed through the title absently. "He has a brother." Sarah took those words and tucked them away in the private corners of her mind. Christian was an older brother; she tasted that thought, trying to claim it for her own. 

Canaret glanced at Sarah sympathetically. "Honey, you need to do more research about your object d'amour. And you're right; your brain does freeze when he's around. I haven't heard you that inarticulate since you decided to stuff marshmallows in your mouth to play the fluffy bunny game." 

Sarah crinkled her nose at her friend. "Oh, be quiet." She placed a hand to her chest, feeling the thumping of her overworked heart. "I think my heart rate's slowing again." She blushed. 

Canaret shook her head. "When you get it, you _get _it. How can you even like the guy if you know nothing about him?" 

"Well..." Sarah trailed off and stared out across the cafeteria. Her gaze landed on the center, where all the good looking boys and girls gathered, their circle impenetrable save to a few selected people. "I don't know. I figure, if I like him this much before I know him, once I get to know him, I'll know what it is about him that, well, draws me to him." She glanced at Canaret. "Does that make any sense?" 

Canaret shrugged. "In a weird way, yes. But then again, you always make sense." Canaret stared at her friend consideringly. "How'd you get to be so wise, anyhow?" 

Sarah smiled ruefully. "I'm far from wise. If I were wise, I would have all the answers, and I wouldn't be so messed up." 

Canaret grinned. "Well, when you figure out the world, let me in on the secret, okay?" 

She had to laugh. "Yes, Canaret, when I figure out the world, I'll let you know." She turned her attention back to the paper and pulled out a pen from her backpack. She read through circling awkward moments and adding better possibilities for phrasing. As she read, though, her pen moved less and less and her eyes grew wider and wider. 

"Sarah?" Canaret asked. "You all right?" She glanced at the paper dubiously. "Man, is what he wrote that bad?" 

Sarah slowly turned her head from side to side. "No. It's just that...Well, read it." She almost threw the paper at her friend. At her friend's confused look, she said forcefully,"Go on, then, read it!" 

Canaret looked skeptical but complied. When she finished, she raised her eyes to meet Sarah's shaken gaze. "Hell's bells, Sarah." Canaret waved the paper emphatically. "This is about _you!_" 

Sarah paled, and swallowed hard. "You think so too, huh?" she asked in a neutral voice, willing herself not to tremble. Breathing was becoming a problem; when did she last exhale? 

"Well, duh! It's practically got your name stamped all over it in neon orange!" Canaret grinned and leaned forward. She whispered conspiratorially,"Girl, I'm going to spell it out, in case you couldn't figure it out from that cute little story. He. Likes. You. Back." 

The blood pounded frantically in Sarah's head. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *steps out from behind curtain* So, um, how's this working for everyone? Enjoying the trip? Because let me tell you, it's going to be a long one. I looked through the lyrics, and dammit, my professional pride won't let me cut corners. However, a couple of the lines are repeated, so I'm just going to cut a few here and there, bringing the total chapter estimate of this baby to 26 chapters. They're not going to be long ones, as I'm sure all of you can figure out from the length of each new part I put out. *grins* so...six down, twenty to go! *waves banner victoriously* 


	7. Take This Feeling 'N Make It Grow

A/N: *peeks out* Well, I guess the last chapter wasn't particularly stimulating when it comes to reviews. That's okay. I'm going to Six Flags today, but I wanted get a chapter up. So far, a lot of people have been asking, is this C/S or is this J/S? And I'm going to have to say absolutely nothing. ^_^ Yes, I'm evil. But the fact that you're kept guessing makes me very, very proud. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Seven: So Take This Feeling 'N Make It Grow 

_Okay, breathe. Don't panic. Don't panic. Breathe. In, out; that means inhale and exhale, Sarah._ "Oh my god!" She half shrieked, eyes wide, pushing away from the table. "What am I gonna do, Canaret? How am I supposed to give this paper back to him? I can't even _talk_ around him!" Maybe if she just edited it and mailed it to him. Or maybe she could get someone else to give it to him. To protect his public image and all. Or maybe she could burn it, and claim that she'd lost it and didn't have a chance to read the whole thing, but the opening paragraph was delightful. 

"Sarah, calm down!" Canaret hissed as she glanced around at the tables around them. Thankfully, everyone in this corner of the room was less inclined to gossip than most, having been the subject of much gossip themselves. That, and this corner of the cafeteria was reserved mainly for those who reveled in their psychological traumas and were very self-focused. Therefore few of the people around the infamous Sarah were inclined to pay any attention to her panicked half-screeching. 

"I can't! I can't calm down!" Sarah tried to keep her voice at a normal conversational level, despite its strained quality. She stared at the dreadful piece of text that was causing her all these breathing problems. That evil, wicked piece of paper. A horrible thought struck her, and she groaned in disgust. "God, this is just some joke, isn't it?" She slumped down in her chair sourly. "Just some dumb jock playing a dumb joke. They're probably off in their elitist circle, laughing at me." Of course. He couldn't really like her. How could anyone ever like someone like her? 

Canaret blinked, her expression that of complete disbelief. "Girl, did you _not_ see how nervous he was? This is, like, the modern equivalent of a love letter! And this sort of 'dumb joke,' as you so eloquently put it, doesn't happen in high school. Middle school, maybe, but not _high school_." Canaret sat back and sighed. "Look, give him the benefit of a doubt. I mean, if you like him, there must be _something_ worth liking about him, right?" 

Sarah stared at the paper as though it would leap upon her face and gobble up her head. "But-but-" she protested weakly. 

"Sarah!" Canaret clapped her hands together, and Sarah jumped. Sarah focused desperately on Canaret. Canaret sighed, and leaned forward, her face serious. "Sarah, pull yourself together. I've know you a couple of years, and every time a chance at some marginal, eentsy-beentsy bit of happiness strolls by, you turn your head and convince yourself it doesn't exist. Every. Single. Time." Her eyes softened. "Sarah, what happened that you have to punish yourself to this extent?" She gazed at her friend, worry saturating her still, dark form. "When will you let yourself be happy?" 

Sarah smiled weakly. "This coming from a Goth." 

Canaret looked at her sharply, not finding her comment at all amusing. "Focus, Sarah, focus." She sighed with frustration, and steepled her fingertips together. She eyed Sarah with determination. She said firmly,"Feel free not to answer me, but you owe it to yourself to look at this big, blinking sign that says,'Be happy!' attached to the body of wonder-jock." She sat back and gazed at her friend with concern. Gently, she said,"Don't keep passing up the gifts the universe grants, Sarah. They're far and few in-between." 

Sarah's eyes dropped numbly to the paper, the confession hidden in a description of Christian's daily life. If she assumed that he was referring to her, then she was everywhere in his life. Everywhere he looked, it seemed, there she was, a darkly unsmiling effigy of secret knowledge that caused the very air to dance when she so much as smiled. Her gaze fell upon the words he tried to use to capture her very essence, and she noted the exasperated, quick ending to a key descriptive paragraph because words were failing him badly. 

She took a deep breath and tried to remove the heavy block in her mind. If she moved it, there was no going back. No room for regrets, no room for hiding. She would have to be brave, which was infinitely more difficult than being miserable. Did she really lack the courage to step up to the counter and ask for a hazelnut mocha, or would she forever settle for the boring, predictable instant coffee? 

She'd run from the same thing, once, a long, long time ago in a place so far and yet so near. She didn't want to run away again, did she? Or was the happiness she sought of so little value that this brief sacrifice, this allowing of the ground to turn to quicksand beneath her, was something she was unwilling to go through? Sarah closed her eyes. _If you open your eyes to the truth, Sarah, there's no way to close them again. If you admit this possibility, you can't hide behind the argument that you didn't know. Are you going to open your eyes, or are you going to walk through life blindly forever? When will you take off the blindfolds and look at all that could be?_ She inhaled sharply. Counted her heartbeats; one, two, three, four. Repeat. One, two, three, four. 

Then, slowly, her dark brown eyes opened. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AN: Hm...I think I'll end it there. It's a good spot to stop, ne? *ducks as various sharp implements come flying her way* Hey! Okay, so it's a short chapter. Come on, I update pretty much every day. And this fic is in no danger of ending soon. *starts speaking in announcer-like voice* Remember, the chapter lengths may vary. 

*giggles madly* Oooh, this is fun fun fun! *claps hands* 

And fear not, Jareth fans. Our favorite man in tights will be all over the place, I promise. After all, his greatest foe needs his 'help.' *grins* Plenty of chapters for him to bounce around in. 


	8. Never Let It, Never Let It Go

A/N: *reads reviews in mailbox* Hm. Huh. Erm...I'd just like to point out how cynical we as Laby-fic readers have become. Christian is Jareth? Christian's letter isn't the one Sarah read? Christian's actually working extremely indirectly at someone else? 

I don't mean to laugh, because I'm glad that this story has so many of you hooked to the point you're trying your best to figure out where the story's going. It's just that so many of you are trying to anticipate plot twists that I'm not sure I'm going to be putting in. After all, if the readers can anticipate the plot twist, it's not much of a plot twist, is it? *grins* (This is what I mean by Laby-fic readers being cynical) So my advice to y'all is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Eight: Never Let It, Never Let It Go 

"Christian." 

He turned slowly to face the owner of that voice. His expression held mixed dread and apprehension, and a tiny, tiny glimmer of hope. 

Sarah wanted nothing more than to hug him and wipe away that dread and fear from his face. However, it was the end of the day and students were spilling into the courtyard in massive clumps. That, and she didn't know how Christian would react. So she approached him tentatively, gripping the straps of her backpack tensely. His stance reflected hers, knuckles pale as he gripped his bag straps. She licked her lips, and glanced about. Finally, she said in a small voice,"Walk with me?" 

They fell into step on the sidewalk, unable to speak, almost unable to breathe in the thick air. They'd walked three blocks when Sarah sighed and stopped. She turned her body to face his and quickly dropped her gaze to the concrete beneath her sneakers. She inhaled sharply and brought her hands up to her nose. She opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. Finally she chuckled weakly. "Wow, this is a lot more difficult than I'd hoped it would be." 

Christian got a pained expression on his face and looked away. "I see." 

"No, you don't," Sarah said automatically, glancing up at him. He turned back to her warily, and she tried to smile. "Look, Christian, do you mind if I'm blunt?" The wary look on his face became more prominent even as he nodded reluctantly. Sarah inclined her head as well, and took a deep breath before stating,"I'm an idiot." 

That clearly was not what he'd been expecting, and he stumbled physically. "Huh?" 

"I am an idiot." Sarah avoided his eyes. She closed them briefly and took several deep breaths. She looked at her hands as she fidgeted. "Look, I'm not this wonderful girl you seem to think. I don't even know how or why you managed to hang in there so long." She drew a ragged breath and smiled up at him, her eyes shining with moisture. "I'm...not very good with-" she swallowed hard,"-relationships. And every time I'm around you my tongue goes dead. I mean, honestly," she gave a high, shrilly laugh. "What can you possibly see in me? I'm half-insane anyhow, and completely inept socially. Oh, and let's not forget my-" She looked up and saw his confused expression, and she stilled. "Right. Anyway. I haven't been very- nice, I know," and she hastened to add,"But that's not because I don't like you!" 

Christian raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze from right to left, as though he couldn't quite make sense of what was happening. 

Sarah sighed with frustration and stamped her feet, and Christian's eyes widened further as he stared mutely at her. "What I'm trying to say is, I-" _I think I'm in love with you. I think about you more than I care to admit._ She groaned disgustedly, dropping her head into her hands. "This should _not_ be this difficult!" She glanced at Christian, who stood there dumbly, afraid to speak, and she sighed, rolling her eyes towards the sky. "What am I talking about? I'm the one who's making this difficult. Christian, I'm crazy about you." 

The dead air fell between their feet to the concrete and dissolved away. 

Did she just say that? Her mind was a blank. Did she actually just say that? 

Judging from the stunned look on Christian's face, she either said that or she saisd that she was a lesbian. 

...So did she actually say that? She couldn't think. The electronic signals that were supposed to be zapping through her brain were taking a water break. 

The awkward silence seemed to stretch on into eternity, and Sarah was rooted to the spot even as her survival instincts urged her to flee. Then Christian's face broke into a wide smile, and he glanced away, blushing. Grinning and blushing, he gave a low chuckle. That chuckle grew into an uproarious laugh as he tilted back his head. 

...Maybe she'd accidentally told him she was a lesbian. Sarah looked painfully confused. 

Christian turned to her, grinning and still the brightest shade of red Sarah had seen outside a crayon box, and her heart skipped a beat. "You're just as scared as I am," he said with wonder, staring at her, never losing the grin. 

Sarah flushed. "Well, yes. Unless you have some other theory why I act like a psycho." Now that the verbal dam had broken, her mind was directly linked to her mouth. She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing just yet, but she decided to go with it. 

He blinked, and his eyes widened. "Whoa." He stood, feeling the ground beneath him, his hands spread out as though to help him balance. "Everything suddenly makes sense," he whispered in awe. He glanced up at Sarah intently. "Oh," he murmured, understanding lighting his eyes. "Okay." He straightened and gazed at Sarah. "Um, okay. So..." He scratched his head. "Where do we go from here?" 

Sarah smiled uncertainly. "I was hoping you could tell me." 

Christian averted his eyes to the side, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He chuckled and shook his head ruefully. "If I knew what to do with a girl like you, do you think I would've had this much trouble getting to this point?" he teased gently, more mocking himself than her. 

She smiled shyly. "Well, that's probably true." Sarah glanced around and sighed. "I hate to do this, but I have to get home. If I'm too late, my stepmom will probably give me the third degree." She made a face to show how much she enjoyed _that_ prospect. Then her expression softened. "But I'll see you in school tomorrow, okay?" 

He smiled bashfully. "Sure. So, um, see you!" He started walking backwards, staring at her with a big, silly grin on his face. 

"Watch where you're going, Christian!" she yelled out playfully after him, enjoying the taste of his name out loud on her tongue. He raised a hand up and waved at her, and then turned to walk away. She stared after him, blissfully giddy. That airy sensation above her ears was very pleasant indeed. She pivoted in place, grinning madly. The joy she felt bubbled within, and she couldn't help it: she did a little dance and squealed happily, pumping her hands victoriously. 

When she got home, Karen was there, struggling with a fussy Toby. "Toby, dear, you have a cough. The medicine's good for you." She tried to place the spoonful of clear purple syrup in his mouth, and he turned away. She said to Sarah distractedly,"Welcome home, Sarah." 

Sarah dropped her bag and crouched down. "Need a hand?" 

Karen sighed and gave her the spoon. "See if you can get him to eat this." 

"Okay," Sarah agreed sunnily, and Karen stared at her with surprise. "Here, Toby." She lowered the spoon and tilted his head up. "Aren't you just the most lovable thing? Are you giving Karen a hard time?" 

Her little brother stared at his sister suspiciously. 

"Well, sweetie, if you won't do it for her, will you do it for me? Pretty please?" she coaxed lifting the spoon up, but keeping it a fair distance from his mouth. "I won't force you, but I think it'd be really good, especially if you're not feeling too well." She batted her eyes at him. "Pretty please?" 

Looking as though he were granting her some incredibly generous favor, the tyke bent forward and parted his lips, allowing his sister to put the spoon in. He swallowed and stared at her solemnly with clear blue-green eyes. 

"Thank you, Toby," Sarah said and hugged him tightly. She stood up and gave the spoon back to Karen. "There we go." She picked up her bag and headed up to her room. 

Karen stared at her dumbly. Then, after exercising her jaw a few times, she called out,"Did something good happen today, Sarah?" 

Sarah paused on the stairs and glanced over her shoulder, grinning. "Not really. I'll see you at dinner." 

Karen shook her head and headed into the kitchen. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: ...Um, here's where I'm going to have to tell the truth: I've never actually _dated_ anyone, so I'm going to have to base everything in this story from here on out on accounts that my friends have related to me. But I think it's fair to say that the typical love-confession/mad, hungry kissing/falling-into-bed thing isn't likely to happen here, since that rarely happens in real life (at least, it doesn't happen without a lot of emotional complications afterwards). 

So we now have Christian and Sarah forming an actual relationship.(instead of the complicated dance around each other they were doing) And I know, I know, you're all waiting for the tighted wonder's appearance. *grins* Well, you'll just have to keep reading, won't you? 


	9. Don't Let Go of the Things You Believe I...

A/N: *Smiles evilly* Well, I'm glad that we've all enjoyed the first arc of this little tale of mine. We're descending into the second spiral of the story, and I hope you all enjoy the coming chapters as much as you seemed to enjoy the current ones. Thank you all kindly for your positive comments and your threats if I don't continue this thing. *grins* When people get emotional, you _know _ you've got something good going. And Lady Jamie, you may not have my curtain. It's mine to hide behind at the end of this chapter. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Nine: Don't Let Go Of The Things You Believe In 

Sarah stepped into her room and dropped her bag to the floor as she collapsed against the closed door. Vivid flashbacks played over and over in her head, and she giggled again. _I can't believe I've come this far._ She launched herself from the door and twirled giddily on her way to the bed. She dropped onto the soft comforter and stared at the ceiling, unable and unwilling to dash away the silly smile on her face. 

And no, she wasn't about to start thinking how the hell she would face Christian tomorrow. Likely, they would both blush and be awkward. And there was the whole social aspect to take into account. This development was unlikely to be well-received from quite a few different corners of the high school social intricacies. 

No, she wasn't going to think about that just yet. There was just this perfect moment and her. Sarah sank into the blissful sea of contentment and joy. 

**Clap. Clap. Clap.**

Sarah closed her eyes as the rare euphoria dissipated like so much mist. There really wasn't any way of running from your past, was there? Sighing, she sat up and gazed at the Goblin King warily. He stopped clapping, and smiled, his sultry presence perfuming the room like a nearly tangible scent. Her mouth went dry, and her mind went completely blank of words. What did one say to a first love forcibly shoved from place? 

"Congratulations, Sarah," he said silkily, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the bookshelf, an air of carefully cultivated, yet casual, grace about him. His eyes twinkled with amusement. "You managed to get around that...incompetence of yours." 

She stiffened and glared at him, struggling not to snap at him. The line she'd granted him should not be crossed; he knew it, she knew it. She cast about for something to say, not liking the cold satisfaction on his face as she fidgeted. Lacking anything inoffensive to say, she nodded curtly and acknowledged,"Goblin King." 

He tilted his head back and laughed. "Sarah, Sarah," he murmured charmingly,"Still so formal. One begins to wonder if you've forgotten my name after all." He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and the air filled with unspoken questions and misthought answers. Her breathing quickened in time with her heart, and the old sorrow overwhelmed the newly budded joy. 

They weren't kidding when they said that you could never forget your first love. 

The air in the room became a gooey consistency of shame and regret. The Goblin King smiled softly and looked away. He spied her closet and strode over to it. He opened it and began going through her clothes. Sarah blinked and opened her mouth to object. Without bothering to look back at her the Goblin King asked arrogantly,"And just how do you intend to face his court?" 

"Court?" Sarah repeated dumbly, confused. "What co-" 

"His circle. His group of esteemed elite." He cast a peeved look over his shoulder at her. "Do you think one such as yourself can carve a place out with _them _by the mere virtue of your poetic turns of phrase?" He sneered. 

Sarah flushed and averted her eyes to the carpet. "I didn't want to think about that just yet," she said quietly. 

"You never want to think about anything," he tossed out carelessly, digging further into her closet. She paled, eyes widening with pain even as she wondered when he would stop being able to hurt her. "Sarah, don't you have _anything_ that will impress that popinjay's peers?" asked the Goblin King with patronizing exasperation. He finally pulled out a pair of black jeans that had beaded designs done into the sides and eyed it critically. "Perhaps..." he murmured to himself, and resumed his search. 

"Get your hands off that!" Sarah cried, and she ripped it from the Goblin King's hands. 

He looked startled for a brief instant, then smiled mischievously. "Sarah, is that one of your private pleasures?" A crystal ball appeared in his hand, and he turned it over. 

Sarah blinked and looked down with dread. All she was wearing was her bra and that pair of tightly fitted black pants. The pants showed off every curve she had on the lower half of her body to the highest effect. It took her two full seconds to realize her state of undress. She yelped and covered her chest. "Hey!" she shrieked, her eyes wide with horror, and she flushed as the Goblin King gave her an coolly appraising look. 

"You've filled out," he commented idly, and turned back to her closet. "The pants are suitable. You merely need a matching top -Sarah, do you ever consider your purchases at all?" he asked with an air of annoyance, not paying any attention to the nearly nude female behind him. 

Sarah stood there numbly, her mouth gaping open, hurt and offended and trying to deny both. She didn't want to evaluate _why_ it bothered her that the Goblin King wasn't particularly affected by her state of undress. She also tried very, very hard to forget that she'd bought these pants soon after the Labyrinth in a fit of wistful fantasy about the Goblin King. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and noted with guilty pleasure that she _had_ filled out; the pants looked fantastic. Crashing back to reality as she heard the opening and shutting of drawers, she turned back to the Goblin King. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she spluttered, her arms dropping to her sides, hands fisted and ready for battle. 

He ignored her and yanked a flash of blue from the depths of her closet. He held the blue shirt up, raising a single eyebrow at the plunging v-neckline. He eyed Sarah questioningly, his lips quirked upwards in a seductive, considering smile, and she flushed. "Um, Karen got me that for my birthday," she muttered by way of explanation. She crossed her arms over her chest figuring if he wasn't going to make a deal of her body, neither would she. 

"Because of course, _you_ would never allow yourself to be seen in something that so accentuates your more feminine qualities," he said as he shook his head. He tsked and tossed his crystal ball up, and Sarah found herself in the shirt. She stared down in horror at the visible cleavage and the tightly fitted waistline. The Goblin King nodded with satisfaction. "That should be enough to impress those superficial fools." He yawned and leaned back, stretching with catlike grace. 

"I can't wear this," Sarah stammered, and she shrank at the look he gave her. "I _can't_. This is unlike anything I've ever worn." 

"Quite untrue." He didn't bother to explain, and Sarah preferred it that way. "That shirt is on the same level as the indecent pieces of cloth masquerading as clothes on your dear Christian's female friends, except it's more tactful, and makes it obvious you're more attractive than they could ever dream of." He gave her a critical once over, and nodded with satisfaction again. "Wear that tomorrow." 

Sarah shook her head. "Not on your life, Goblin King." 

He sighed and looked skywards as though for divine aid. "Sarah, you'll take my damn advice and wear the outfit." He held his hands out, indicating his own clothes, and he raised a single, conceited brow. "After all, I _know_ what looks good." And he vanished. 

Sarah stared at herself in the mirror. "I can't believe this is happening." She sighed and changed out of the clothes, throwing the Goblin King-approved outfit back into the closet. _I'm _not_ wearing that. No. I refuse. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Hey y'all. Heh heh. And yes, I know misthought isn't a word. But no real words suited, and hey, Shakespeare and Carroll and a whole bunch of other people made up words to fill in the blanks in the English language, so why can't I? *sticks out tongue petulantly, then ducks behind curtain* 


	10. You Give Me Something I Can Believe In

A/N: *strolls out blissfully from behind the curtain* Well, well, well...Our favorite ball of conceit has made his reappearance, and y'all seemed to like it. As for this being J/S...Eh, where's the fun in telling? *ducks as rotten peach is thrown* Okay, I'm going back into hiding... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Ten: You Give Me Something I Can Believe In 

Sarah stepped carefully off the bus, her dark eyes scanning the sea of LL Bean backpacks and large, preppy handbags. She searched for the worn, malformed denim bag that was etched into her long term memory. An odd, unsettling disappointment slithered through her stomach when she couldn't see him, and she entered the school building with a sigh. She drifted through the bustling crowd of students. Her eyes fell briefly upon every face and her heart sped up for two brief seconds with anticipation until recognition dawned and her gaze swept elsewhere. 

Canaret glided through the monotony of pastels and solids on a wave of stark black. She looked puzzled as her eyes fell upon Sarah's searching expression. "Sarah, who're you looking for?" 

Sarah turned to her friend, her eyes wide and her face flushed. "Canaret!" she exclaimed, flustered. "Oh, hi." 

Canaret raised a carefully painted eyebrow. "Oh, hi?" Her lips curved upwards slightly as she reconsidered her friend, whose gaze had returned to the sea of faces. "Sarah, did something good happen?" 

Sarah turned back and shook her head, then paused and nodded, and finally sighed, glancing upwards with a smile. "Oh, yeah." She glanced down at her outfit worriedly. "Before I tell you, what do you think?" 

Canaret blinked and looked her friend over. "Well, the white peasant top is cute, I guess. And those jeans aren't the most stylish, but they're functional. Sarah, since when do you care what you're wearing?" 

Sarah glanced left and right, then leaned in close to her friend's head. "Well," she whispered, her eyes dancing,"You see-" 

The bell rang, and the hallways surged with sudden energy. Sarah and Canaret were overwhelmed and redirected none too gently to their classroom. Sarah cast her friend a helpless look as they were swept into English class. They found their usual seats towards the back of the classroom and sat down, waiting for the noise to die down. Sarah cast her gaze over the heads of her fellow students, wondering just where Christian was. 

Her face lit up as he dashed into the room and seated himself next to his buds in one of the front rows. He looked out of breath, grinning and trading jokes with his friends. He turned and glanced at the back of the room out the corner of his eye. His gaze caught hers, and they turned red together as they smiled goofily. 

The teacher called for attention and the students quieted. Christian's gaze lingered a few seconds longer before turning to the front. 

Canaret had a very, very smug look on her face when Sarah turned back. She leaned over the desk and grinned slyly. "I see," she whispered, very amused. "So _that's _what happened." 

Sarah honestly didn't think she could turn any redder. 

Well, she was proved wrong at lunch. 

The two girls made their usual way to their corner of darkness in the cafeteria, their sack lunches like lifelines in the unusually pungent odors rising from the trays. They were stopped when Christian sprang up from the finely delineated center. "Sarah, over here!" He waved at her gaily, cheeks pink. It seemed that the embarrassment was wearing off gradually. He paused as his gaze fell upon the Gothic girl standing beside Sarah with a bemused expression upon her pale face. Conflicting emotions warred across the face as he considered whether he was willing to risk associating with the 'biting' girl. 

Canaret shook her head with a smile and nudged Sarah with a strategically placed elbow. "Go on, then. I can eat with the others today." She grinned and nipped at the air next to Sarah's cheek. "Kiss kiss." With a smug look the girl glided away. 

Christian looked immensely relieved as Sarah made her cautious way to the center. He looked completely confident; Sarah wished she shared some of that easy confidence as puzzled and antagonistic gazes fell upon her back, her front, and all the way up and down. There was a distinct sense of _wrongness_ as she crossed the border edges of the elite circle and made her way to Christian. He either didn't notice the social tensions or was simply too arrogant to care. His eyes were for Sarah alone, and this did not go unnoticed by the female members of his fanclub. 

He shoved at his friends to make room, and they squeezed to make room for Christian and this...novelty. They sat down, blushing awkwardly and grinning with silly affection. Tom stared at Sarah. "Aren't you that fantasy chick?" Christian leveled a warning gaze at Tom, who raised his hands defensively, grinning sheepishly. "Hey, man, I just wondered." 

Sarah gave him an odd look. "I enjoy reading fantasies, yes." She smiled, trying to play nice with Christian's friends. Despite her outspoken hatred of the cliqueness of the high school social infrastructure, she still got a guilty, deeply buried thrill from being able to have an excuse to sit there and pretend if only for a short time that she was one of them. Plus, they were Christian's friends. If she wanted to smooth things out for Christian, she had to figure out how to sail the murky political currents sweeping through the table. "And you're Tom, one of Christian's friends. I hear you're quite the sportsman." 

Tom smiled and nodded, the blank look telling Sarah more than she needed to know. She stifled a sigh and clarified,"I hear you're good at football." She exchanged smiles with Christian, and was rewarded by the warm look in his blue eyes. She blushed and averted her gaze to her sack lunch. 

Tom grinned. "Thanks. And you're brilliant at writing." His brown eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know, that's one of the things he noticed first about you," he added in a stage whisper. The table erupted in giggles as he winked at her. 

Christian rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up, you dumb ass." He was smiling, however, and Sarah was awash in happiness. He glanced at her sack lunch, and jumped up. "Hey, I'm going to get a drink. What would you like?" 

"I want a coke," Tom requested. 

"Not you, dummy," Christian grinned jokingly as he turned to Sarah. "See what I have to put up with? So what'll it be?" Sarah shrugged. "I don't really need anything-" 

"Sure you do. I know..." Christian smiled devilishly as he turned to the table as though he was about to bestow some great secret truth. "Chocolate milk," he said, enunciating each syllable carefully. He grinned at Sarah. "I'll be right back." 

Sarah blushed. Tom laughed. "That's about the only thing he's been able to figure out about you, mystery girl." 

Sarah raised her head shyly and glanced at the other girls. "So, um, how're you all doing?" 

A sophomore girl flipped her shiny, dyed hair over her shoulder. "Well, I just had the best time yesterday. I went to the mall and got these great bargains." She gave Sarah a deliberately bored once-over, as though Sarah would disappear from the world within a day and was therefore unworthy of remembering. "I know exactly where to go for the best clothes." _Unlike some people,_ was the underlying comment. 

Sarah resisted the urge to growl. She turned to another girl, struggling to smile pleasantly. "So what's new with you?" 

"Well," the younger girl said as she leaned in conspiratorially, her perfectly painted face beaming with confident youth,"I hear that Jason's about ready to kill himself." She nodded knowingly at the rather large section of the cafeteria dedicated to those who excelled in mathematics and sciences. Sarah felt sick as the girl continued,"And I know for a fact that Bobbie is sleeping with her physics teacher. Apparently they're in love," the girl wrinkled her nose scornfully as her voice filled with laughter. "Can you imagine? Love!" The girl smiled wickedly. "So, how far have you gotten with Christian?" 

Sarah flushed angrily. "I don't think that's any of your business," she said civilly, ignoring the gnashing of her molars. 

"Oh, please," the girl dismissed Sarah's comment with a wave of the hand. "Like you're not thinking about it." She gave Sarah a scornful once-over. "You're not going to get anywhere with _that_ outfit." She brightened. "I heard that Danielle tried this new thing with Matthew over spring break..." 

Sarah was fairly certain that the girl would never shut up. Bewildered, she turned to Tom beseechingly, only to find him stuffing his face with his food. She glanced around the table, and felt very much alone. She stood up and excused herself to the ladies room. She splashed water on her face and looked at her weary face in the mirror. With a sigh she closed herself in a bathroom stall and sat down on top of the toilet cover, trying to regain her strength. 

She heard the door open and some girls walked in. 

"I don't see what Christian sees in her." Sarah recognized that voice as belonging to the girl who'd been so dismissive of Sarah. 

"I know. All right, she's got that whole insane-outcast mystique going, but that can't last." That would be the gossip. 

"I think he's actually serious about her, can you believe that?" A third girl said, and gagged. 

"Did you see those gaa-gaa looks they were giving each other? I haven't seen so much sickening sweetness since I took my sister trick-or-treating on Halloween!" 

"Well, one thing's for certain: she doesn't even have the decency to dress right!" 

"I know. I just about died of embarrassment when she walked up to the table. Even if she is purely a whim of the male mind, she should present herself acceptably. I mean, that hideous shirt! And those pants! When was the last time she went shopping, the eighties?" 

The three girls burst into laughter. 

Sarah's blood boiled even as her stomach twisted with nausea. She stood up and opened the door, stepping out into the bathroom. She glared at the girls, who glanced at her giddily. 

"Oh, hi, Sarah," the haughty sophomore said, the look in her eyes telling Sarah that they'd known she was here, and that the glove was thrown. 

Hurt, Sarah whirled out of the bathroom. She ran past Christian, startling him. He ran after her as she exited the cafeteria. "Sarah?" He called after her questioningly. He caught up with her and stood a careful distance from her. "Are you all right?" 

Sarah turned around, avoiding his eyes. Her hands rubbed her arms as she frowned and sighed. "How can you be around all those people and still be you?" she asked quietly, shifting her gaze to meet his. "How?" she whispered. 

Christian tossed the chocolate milk carton around in his hands. He stilled and sighed, catching the carton. "They got to you already?" The pain in her face was answer enough, and he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, and glanced away. "I know they can be cruel-" 

Sarah had to laugh at that, and shook her head at his puzzled look. "Nothing. Go on." 

"They're cruel because they're afraid of getting hurt. As they get older, they become more secure, and they lose that...edge. You can understand, can't you?" He looked at Sarah pleadingly, and she knew he was far from willing to choose her over his stable social circle. If he could incorporate her into his life, he would be the happiest person there was. But if it came down to choosing...Sarah didn't want to take that chance. Not when this joy was so fresh and young. 

Besides, she understood their cruelty perfectly. 

She shook her head and tried to smile. "It's all right. Really. But...I don't think I'm up to sitting with them again." She held up a hand, silently asking that he let her finish. "They seem to think that I'm temporary, a fluke, and that I'll quietly disappear from their nice, ordered lives very soon. Until _we're_ more stable, I don't think their attitude will change." She gazed at him, quiet determination in her eyes. "I don't intend to give up without a fight, but I also know to pick my fights." 

Christian sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm really, really sorry about this, Sarah. I didn't mean-" 

"Hey, it's okay." Sarah shrugged. "I should have been better prepared." She thought of the outfit the Goblin King had picked out for her, the outfit that was currently buried in her closet, and wondered how much a difference that would have made. "But I was expecting this to happen." She smiled for real this time. "All good things must be fought for in this world." 

Christian blinked, then blushed, scratching his head. "Um, right." He stared at the milk carton in his hand and held it out to her. "Here. I guess I've already shaken it up for you." 

Sarah smiled and accepted the small gift. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *wipes forehead* whew! Long chapter this time. *grins* Aren't you all glad? Let me just say, though, this was the single most difficult chapter to write yet. I remember high school as cruel (though not as bad as the hell that was middle school), but I also don't remember much...subtlety in its cruelty. Jareth's cruelty is more refined; I couldn't decide if I wanted the girls to be crudely mean or have a refined sense of cruelty. I settled for something in between: The girls are trying to be both subtle and obvious. I'm not sure how well this works...I really need feedback on this chapter. *smiles* But, we also have C/S fluff here. And he's not perfect. I'm happy. ^_^ 


	11. Don't Let Go of This Moment In Time

A/N: God, I'm so tired...Been having roommate issues. Which is why this update's a bit late. That, and I've been considering how to get from point A to point B in this fic. Yes, yes, I know you all want a J/S fic. Sheesh. Plenty of room for that. And I'm also happy that people like my imperfect Christian. Too often I read fics where Sarah is dating someone/marrying someone (before Jareth gets to her, though!) who's either a total jerk or perfection itself. 

Heh heh...Basically, I'm writing the fic I want to read, which makes it fun for me and apparently everyone else too. ^_^ 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Eleven: Don't Let Go of This Moment In Time 

Sarah sensed him before she even closed the door to her room. Sheepishly, almost ashamed, she turned to face the Goblin King- 

Who lounged very comfortably on her bed, leaning against her big pile of pillows and stuffed animals. Mercifully, his boots didn't seem too dirty, though she wondered idly how he managed that with the city he ran. His shirt was an almost translucent white today; she could see just enough of the skin beneath that she flushed. The sensuous smile and those black tights didn't help the way her breath caught in the back of her throat. She had to try frantically to unlock her windpipe while resisting the urge to bathe in the sight, to indulge herself in the very, _very_ appealing visual confection on her bed. The part of her mind that was bolder went further and started wondering if he tasted as good as he looked, and her blush turned an almost painful red. 

The Goblin King's eyes were at half mast as he slid his gaze lazily over to Sarah. "Hello Sarah." 

Sarah took a deep breath and tore her gaze away. "I hate being a teenager," she muttered, blaming her hormones for her reaction. 

"I know," he purred, and she couldn't help stealing a glance at him. The knowing smirk on his face told her everything she needed to know, and she avoided staring at him, trying to keep her gaze somewhere in his vicinity yet not falling directly upon him. He stirred and closed his eyes, reaching one slender arm behind his head. "The social politics," he commented dryly, mercifully changing the topic,"Of your particular age group can be so..." He licked his lips and opened his eyes,"-difficult." 

Sarah sighed and leaned her head against the door, her body perpendicular to both the door and the Goblin King. 

"You didn't take my advice," he commently softly, eyelids sliding partway down. 

"No, I didn't." She stared ahead into space. After a pause, she asked quietly,"Would it really have made a difference?" 

The Goblin King gave one elegant shrug, twirling a crystal ball with his free hand. "Define difference," he mused. 

She turned to him and smiled ruefully, averting her gaze. She shook her head. "Never mind." 

As the silence stretched, the tick tock of Sarah's clock increased in decibel until it intruded on every sense as the two tried not to pay attention to each other. Finally, the Goblin King tossed the crystal ball up and caught it, eyeing it absently. "They would not have challenged you so openly and so soon. But it wouldn't have made a difference." His eyes slid over to catch hers, and she inhaled sharply at the drowning blue and green. "But it would have, to you." 

Sarah tilted her head back in an attempt to halt the sudden overflow of saline in her eyes. "Right," she whispered. "It would have." 

The Goblin King sat up, his arms draping over his knees lankily. He tilted his head to the side, considering her with an amused look on his face. He shook his head slightly, grinning, showing sharp teeth. "You've come so far and yet have such a ways to go, dear, dear Sarah," he said in a soft singsong. "How long before the maze you've created reaches its end, and all the mice roam free only to find that the prized cheese does not exist?" 

She turned slowly to look at him, cautious and wary and yet safe and secure. She knew this danger, had faced it once a long time ago. The danger beyond the door, the danger that awaited in the world outside- that was the unknown. The Goblin King was the oddly stable part of her life. _Which is probably not a good sign._ She raised her chin stubbornly and stared evenly at the Goblin King, feeling her throat constrict. Why did the mere sight of him have to pull at her heartstrings like she was a damn violin? "The only maze I know of is your Labyrinth-" 

"_Your_ Labyrinth," he corrected sharply, eyes narrowing. 

_Not true! _Sarah swallowed her retort. "It doesn't belong to me." 

The Goblin King shrugged lazily, smiling dreamily at Sarah. "It belongs to me; it belongs to you. And you and I both belong to it." 

She shook her head. "You're not making much sense." 

"On the contrary," he drawled, raising one eyebrow. "I make perfect sense. You're the one who doesn't understand." 

Sarah stared at him, trying to understand and perversely not being willing to concede an inch. Her brain took the two conflicting desires, shook them about, and tossed them to the side with disgust. As a result, she merely shook her head. "I don't believe I ever understand you, Goblin King." 

A curiously odd look settled on his face. "No," he said slowly,"I don't suppose you ever do." Then he tilted his head and said archly,"But you, Sarah, are a puzzle becoming all too easy to decipher." 

He vanished, and she shook her head, simultaenously confused and annoyed. "He always has to have the last word," she muttered. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *waves* Okay, okay, it's short, but it's J/S interaction. I'm back! Aren't you glad? And the weekend's coming up. I should be able to churn out some stuff. Happy Samhain, everyone, and be safe. 


	12. Don't Let Go Of Things That You're Feeli...

A/N: *peeks out with sleepy eyes* Okay, okay, I know, I know, I've been lax... My roommate situation has been steadily deteriorating. I'll have you all know that I keep the bathroom as clean as I can; left to her gentle touch, our bathroom has spawned numerous square inches of black stuff that comes away in chunks. That, and she doesn't take out the trash, doesn't vacuum, is content with tracking her shoes everywhere over my carpet...*sigh* I know she's a freshmen trying to adjust to the sudden freedom and responsibility of living on her own, but this is getting really, really annoying. 

*brightens* But hey, the fact that I can't turn on the light because she and her overnight guest are sleeping (overnight guest popped in at 5 AM, BTW) leaves me with little to do save type on my laptop. So here I give you 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twelve: Don't Let Go Of Things That You're Feeling 

"Hi Sarah," Christian smiled goofily as he passed by her in the hallway. "Thanks for editing my paper, by the way." 

Sarah blushed faintly and tried to redirect his attention. "Well, once the screaming and panic died down, what else could I do? It _is_ a good paper," she reaffirmed indignantly at his wide grin,"Regardless of the content." She glanced away, smiling. 

He shook his head. "Maybe yes, maybe no." They shifted in their feet, smiling and meeting gazes and averting again in a rather uncomplicated dance of bashfulness. 

By the end of the week this casually awkward interaction had deadened the surprised expressions and fierce gossiping, though they still got odd looks from different sets of students and more than a few teachers when they openly talked to each other. Even now, the stream of students rushing this way and that arched around the two, every passersby claiming a glance at the infamous couple. Sarah had yet to rejoin Christian's table, and he didn't want to push either her or his group. It seemed that the younger girls were struggling to accept that Sarah had lasted a week. They'd even gone to the trouble of starting a rumor that the current situation was a result of a bet Christian had with his buddies. Christian had quashed _that_ rumor with a pointed joke, but couldn't stop the gossip that continued to fly. Nor could he condemn the gawking that the students indulged in. He was the first to admit this relationship was _bizarre_. 

Sarah ignored the looks. She was used to strange looks after all. 

Christian ignored the looks. He was used to attention after all. 

"Are you busy this weekend?" Christian asked, studying the wall intently. 

Sarah hid a smile and resisted the urge to squeal. "Nope. Not a thing in the world planned." _Besides homework. But I've got plenty of time to do that._

"So...you wanna catch a movie?" Yes, his face was definitely a brighter shade of reddish pink than before. 

For that matter, so was Sarah's. "Um, sure." 

"Great!" His face lit up. Then his face crumpled into confusion. "What do you want to see?" 

Sarah shrugged, feeling as though her boundless smile would permanently tear her cheeks apart. "Well, depends on whether you're willing to watch a chick flick or not." An pained expression settled on his face, and he looked like a small puppy begging for a treat. "_Or_ we could watch, oh, I don't know, what were you thinking?" She could handle and probably even enjoy an action flick. Were there any of that sort playing, though? It didn't really matter so long as they could go out on an official date. The very thought made her stomach dance in rainbow ribbons as she waited for him to come up with a movie. 

Christian grinned broadly, and swept his arms apart as though the answer was obvious. "Jackass: the movie!" 

Sarah's lovely fantasy of sugar spun sweetness crashed and burned into a molten, black glob. "Jackass?" she asked timidly, and winced inwardly as she recalled the trailers she'd seen on TV. "I'm not really sure I want to see that," she said hesitantly. 

Christian's grin faltered. "Okay," he said understandingly, clearly disappointed,"What else do you want to see?" 

_Sweet Home Alabama?_ Sarah shook her head. That sort of movie could wait. "How about the Ring?" she suggested hopefully. "I've heard that it's interesting, though the Japanese version's scarier." 

Christian visibly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. Finally he beamed. "That sounds great!" The bell for the next class began ringing. "So, uh, I'll call you and we'll figure out what time, okay?" He waved her good bye and dashed into the swirling whirlpool of students. 

Sarah waved after him and smiled, exhaling exasperatedly. She wasn't sure what to do with his obvious desire to see Jackass, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She shuddered. As much as she liked him, there were those tiny little things that annoyed her. It didn't lessen her affection any, and those little wrinkles certainly made life interesting. His habits made him himself, and for that alone Sarah did her best to accept his insistence on eating his food one section at a time and his certainty that UFOs had visited Earth and the government knew. 

Besides, he embraced everything that was strange and different about her. If she didn't do the same it wouldn't be fair. 

_You say that so often, I wonder what your basis of comparison is._

Sarah shook her head and turned her feet in the direction of her classes. Even when he wasn't around, he plagued her. She was dating someone else, actually building a relationship with someone else- shouldn't the Goblin King have lost his power over her? She'd managed to live ignoring his presence, ignoring the wistful memories and regrets. Why were they all coming to a boil _now_, when she'd finally taken a step forward? Why did it seem she was walking backwards in time? 

_Sometimes the fastest way forward is to go back._

But that didn't make any _sense!_

_Oh, I make perfect sense. You're the one who doesn't understand._

Sarah stiffened as she slid into her seat for history. Were the voices in her head actually her own memories, or was the Goblin King shifting about her mind? She tried to probe into her own mind, and gave up. Thinking about it, the Goblin King was unlikely to mess with her mind from the inside when he did it just fine from the outside. He seemed...different this time around. Yes, he was meddling, but didn't seem to have any ulterior motives- 

Sarah snorted, and flushed as the teacher leveled a look at her. Sliding down in her chair, she frowned. Just because the Goblin King seemed perfectly benign -comparatively- didn't mean he was. 

Or was she just second guessing herself now? She sighed and dropped her head into her palms. 

"Miss Williams, do you have a problem with the war of 1812?" the teacher asked acidly. 

Why did her life have to be so darn complicated? 


	13. I Can't Explain the Things That I'm Feel...

Don't Let Go 

Chapter 13: I Can't Explain The Things That I'm Feeling 

The last bell rang, and the students snapped up their binders and books, dumping everything into their abused book bags. They poured out of the classrooms, hoping the beat the rush and creating it all at once. Sarah took her time gathering her things since she really didn't have a fully packed and planned afternoon. After the crowd thinned, Sarah stepped out and stopped at her locker, dumping a couple of textbooks and retrieving yet some more for the weekend's homework. 

Canaret met her there. "Hey Sarah." The Gothic blond had dark black eye shadow on her lids, which made her look odd to Sarah, but she wisely held her tongue. Canaret waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "So, how's wonderjock?" 

Sarah rolled her eyes and smiled haplessly. "He has a name, you know." 

Canaret giggled. "Yes, but naming him makes him so much more real, and I'm still having difficulties realizing that Sarah Williams," she posed dramatically as Sarah looked exasperated,"-dreamer extraordinaire, she of the Powerful Words, is dating wonderjock." She grinned wickedly. "So what's going on? Details, details!" 

They walked down the hallway, weaving around the last stragglers. As the exited the building, Sarah glanced up at the hazy blue sky, her eyes going distant. "There isn't much to tell, Canaret." 

"What? No kisses, no hugs, no squishy sloppy sounds that I should try my best not to envision but I will anyway?" Canaret's lips quirked upwards as she teased. 

Sarah came back down to earth and gazed at her friend. "Well, no." 

Canaret paused in her tracks. "_Nothing?_" 

"Perfect gentleman." Sarah continued walking down the pavement, idly kicking a pebble out of her way. Canaret sped up and fell into step beside Sarah, her clunky black boots a stark contrast to Sarah's light treads. 

"No way." Canaret asked hopefully,"Holding hands?" Sarah shook her head. "Well, shit, girl!" she exclaimed. "I thought they were the fast moving ones! I've gotten further in three days-" 

"I don't want to hear about the Jake incident," Sarah halted Canaret with a firm hand. 

"Okay, okay," she agreed humbly. A few seconds of blissful silence passed. "Are you two really dating?" 

Sarah sighed and turned to face her friend. "Yes. As a matter of fact, we're going to a movie this weekend." 

"Oohhh..." Canaret gave a smug smile. "Chick flick?" 

"No." 

"Something sexy, like The Secretary?" 

Sarah gave her friend an odd look. "Um, no. This is our first date, you'll recall..." 

"Well, a little hint and push can't hurt," she mused. 

She probably didn't want to know what images flitted about in Canaret's mind. "...Um, thanks, but no." 

Canaret shrugged. "Suit yourself. See if you can get around to holding his hand. Or maybe..." She smiled seductively. "Kiss kiss," she whispered, leaning close to Sarah's face. Then she snapped her teeth at Sarah. 

Sarah leaned back, not at all offended. "Canaret, you're a strange child." 

"Oh, maybe. But you're far weirder." 

"Touche." Sarah grinned. "But seriously, I don't know what to do around Christian. Every time I think I can be calm around him, my heart starts going thud thud thud and it becomes so difficult to be relaxed." 

Canaret hummed. Then she asked absently,"What would you do if he tried to kiss you?" She glanced at her friend sneakily. 

Sarah flushed. "I don't know..." _Judging from what little past experience I've had with the Goblin King, probably freeze?_ "I'd probably either lean away or freeze." Yes, that's what she did. She'd frozen, afraid to move, afraid to break that simple flash of mundane magic, that complete syncronization of heart and time. Too late, too late, she was always too late. 

"You probably would," Canaret agreed with a long-suffering sigh. Then she grinned. "Well, if he does try anything, do let me know." She glanced at Sarah, and was caught by the lost look on her beautiful face. 

The question formed, wriggling into existence, and crawled out her mouth. "What if he seems like he'll kiss me, and I want him to and don't want him to, and he doesn't?" Sarah asked wistfully, eyes staring off in the distance. 

Canaret considered her friend carefully, feeling the ancient weight of sorrow settle in the air. "Sarah," she asked slowly,"when did this happen?" 

Sarah snapped to attention and blinked. "Um, never mind." She smiled and looked away. 

Canaret stopped and grabbed Sarah's arm firmly, trying to meet her eyes. "Wait, wait, wait," she said frustratedly. Her eyes filled with concern. "Sarah, what happened? This isn't about Christian, is it?" 

Sarah turned and laughed weakly. "What makes you think it's not about Christian?" 

"Because whenever it's about Christian you giggle and prance like a silly ninny. This goes," she paused, searching for the right word,"-deeper." 

The words chilled Sarah and she shook Canaret's hands off. "This is not deeper." She swallowed and took a deep breath. "This is just...older," she declared resolutely. 

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Canaret asked softly, skeptical. Sarah didn't respond. Finally, Canaret let it go. "Fine," she said softly. "I won't ask any more." She cast a sidelong look at her friend. 

Sarah shook her head, clearing the air, and beamed at Canaret. "So, yeah, we're going to watch the Ring." 

Tactfully, she followed the change in subject. "So you can justifiably attach yourself to his arm?" Canaret raised an eyebrow. "_That_ should get you somewhere." 

"Well, it was the only viable choice." Sarah crinkled her nose. "I mean, he wanted to watch Jackass." 

A pause followed. 

"Well," Canaret said finally,"I think that speaks for itself." 

"Oh, shut up." 

They parted ways shortly thereafter and Sarah walked into her house. 

"Welcome home, Sarah," Karen called out. 

"Hi there." Sarah glanced around the kitchen. "Hey, where's Toby?" 

"Oh, he's in the living room with his Matchbox cars." 

"Okay, thanks." She ignored the surprised look Karen gave her, thinking somewhat sourly that Karen could be nicer about the fact that Sarah was nicer. Her frown softened into a smile as she walked into the living room. "Hey, Toby." She dumped her bag on the carpet and crouched down. 

"Sarah," Toby greeted. He held up a car and offered it to her. She accepted it graciously, smiling at his grand air. Toby picked up a car in each hand and started weaving them through the air like airplanes, humming and singing incoherently. 

Sarah watched him play, very amused as she tried to make sense of his nonsensical babble. 

That is, until she heard,"Dance, magic, dance!" Sarah paused and tilted her head at Toby. Where had _that_ come from? 

Now the two cars were facing off, and it looked like a big battle would occur. Sarah asked curiously,"Why are they fighting?" 

Toby looked at his sister, exasperation on his chubby face. "Go'lin King took away something special. Have to get it back." 

Sarah froze. Just how much did Toby remember? Carefully, she coaxed,"Goblin King? Who's that?" 

This time Toby simply looked at his sister as though she were being incredibly stupid. He didn't bother to answer as he turned back to his midair battle. 

Sarah crouched there for a few minutes, feeling her heart pound. Finally, she said quietly,"You remember the magic man, don't you, Toby?" 

Toby continued playing. "Sarah was on the ceiling." He looked confused but accepted the truth of it. "Lots of stairs in the white room. And Go'lin King danced with. He wanted to keep me." 

Sarah shook her head as she stood up. "No, Toby," she said softly,"It wasn't you he wanted to keep." She picked up her bag and fled up the stairs to her room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *peeks out from behind curtain* Well, I must say I'm ashamed that I've been so lax in writing. Which is why today y'all get not one but two chappies. And I'm ticked off at my roomie, so punching at the keys give me an outlet. ^_^ 


	14. Don't Let Go

A/N: *peeks out and winces* um, yeah. Long time no update. See, I've been busy with mad studying for midterms and whatnot...Um. See, my plan was to write the next ten chapters, because I need to be sure I have the pacing and the plot down. So that's the reason for this late late late update. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Fourteen: Don't Let Go 

Sarah stepped in her room and blinked. "Oh." She tossed her bag in the general direction of her dresser, eyes fixed on the base of her bed. 

The Goblin King smiled pleasantly, sitting at the foot of the bed. "And a merry day to you too, Sarah." That shade of black silk draped on his form in very _nice_ ways. All very decent, of course, all important parts modestly covered. That didn't deaden the effect of the appeal of his lanky figure, but it was certainly a muted appeal from their previous encounter. 

He was being too nice. Sarah walked warily around him, her eyes never leaving his relaxed form. "I have a date this weekend," she said without thinking, waiting for a response. 

"Oh?" He grinned. "And what shall this date consist of, Sarah?" 

"Fun. Movie. Clothes." She waved her hand vaguely. "The usual." She leaned against her dresser. 

"And what would you know of that?" His eyelids slid shut as he smiled, bemused. 

She flushed and stiffened. He had no right to come in here uninvited and insult her, however indirectly. She opened her mouth to make a retort. 

"Your Labyrinth misses you," he said softly, eyes still closed. 

She paused. "It's not _my_ Labyrinth," she objected firmly. 

"Not my Labyrinth; yours." 

Sarah sighed exasperatedly and threw up her hands. "Jareth, you don't make any sense!" 

He opened his eyes and looked at her contemptuously. "Must we go through this again?" 

"Well, you're not making any sense! Or," she added sarcastically,"I'm just not understanding you." She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. 

He shook his head slightly. "Still rewriting the world to fit your needs, I see." 

Sarah glanced up at the ceiling. "Give me strength," she muttered, before returning to the Goblin King. "Look, why are you here? To confuse me?" 

"It doesn't seem that you need any help in that department." 

Sarah ground her molars together. "I'm warning you, Goblin King-" 

"Sarah, I'm truly wounded by your ill suspicions." He grinned at her and placed a hand over his heart, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Here I come to bring word that your Labyrinth misses its mistress and servant, and you accuse me of bringing less than pleasant intentions." 

Silence followed as Sarah struggled to put together the oddly shaped pieces of multicolored information he gave her. A disgusted sigh spread through the silence as she gave up. "Okay," she said slowly, stiffly, avoiding his amused gaze,"I really don't understand what you're trying to say. Would it be so below you to explain it to me before my frustration overcomes the restraint I have on my must-kill urges?" 

He smirked. "Well, now, admitting that wasn't so difficult, was it?" 

"Don't push your luck, Goblin King," Sarah growled. 

He raised an elegant eyebrow and smiled lazily. "I would remind you to do the same, Sarah Williams," he said in a soft, seductive voice, and sensuality wafted through the room, permeating every pore of Sarah's skin. The air felt heavily perfumed with the scent of danger and unknown, and she shivered. His narrowed eyes caught the tiny movement, caught the tiny step back she took, and he met her wide-eyed gaze, noted her cheeks tinted pink and her lips slightly open. He smiled slowly, and nodded once. "Since you asked me so nicely," he said as he pulled himself further back on the bed,"I will explain in simpler, mundane terms. Pity; I thought you of all mortals would have understood intuitively, but..." He tilted his head back haughtily. "Then again, your intuition is remarkably poor in many, many areas." 

Sarah swallowed hard and fought the stinging pain his words caused. 

"The Labyrinth," the Goblin King said softly,"Was entered by you. Changed by your thoughts, your desires. Most mortals sent through lack the imaginative power to strongly influence the moving walls and chambers of the Labyrinth, but yours was a lasting influence. But that influence comes at a price, as do all things. It claimed you just as you staked you claim on it, just as it claims all who bend it to their will." 

"That doesn't make sense." At his disdainful look Sarah hastened to add,"If it's subservient, it can't be in power at the same time. It's contradictory. That can't be right." 

He paused and tilted his head, considering."Can't it?" he asked softly, and he gazed at her, almost cautious in his tentativeness. 

_Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave._

The words echoed, deep bells ringing and the golden brass tones resounding against the stone walls of her memory. She inhaled sharply and blinked back sudden tears. She glanced away. "So what does that matter to me?" 

He was quiet. The awkward pain pulled and stretched thin, and Sarah wanted to scream shrilly just to shatter that silent ache. She finally turned to look at him, and he seemed lost in thought. Then,"I suppose it does not matter, after all," he murmured. He glanced up and met her eyes. He smirked. "For you are trapped on this side of the mirror, separated from your abandoned friends and your beloved Labyrinth, entangled with these mortal bonds and fears." 

She stilled as a sharp pang reached into her heart and stabbed repeatedly. "I didn't abandon them-" 

"Oh, don't lie to me," he cut off sharply, disgusted. "Lie to yourself all you want, but don't lie to me, Sarah. You left them behind, cut them out of your life's story just as you cut the Labyrinth out. I'm their king, make of it what you will, and I see their pain, their confusion." The accusations cut sharp. "Hoggle betrayed me, just as you wished, in order to remain your friend. Ludo helped you, just as you wished, in order to remain your friend. And poor addled Didymus decided that you were more important than any vow he's had," his voice became savage as he punctuated each word,"_Just as you wished._" 

Her eyes filled with tears and overspilled, and she remained standing, frozen. 

"They remain there, waiting and wanting because they befriended you, desired to fulfill your dreams. And their hope is never fulfilled, their need to see you never satisfied." The rage left his face just as quickly as it'd come, and he sat back, weary. "Sarah," he whispered,"What more must you demand of us? How many more steps will you make your marionettes dance?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *wide eyes* Wow. I actually have paragraphs in this chapter. 


	15. No, I Won't Let Go

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Fifteen: No, I Won't Let Go 

"I didn't make anything happen. You did," she tossed back at him. "You _chose_ to be my marionette, as you put it." 

His gaze darkened, and cold, heavy anger seeped across the floor, spreading from her clammy toes up her spine. Whether she felt fear or despair or even both, she couldn't tell. "You called to me first. You called out to the Labyrinth with your stories and songs of dreaming reality. The Labyrinth heard, and responded. All of us did." He shook his head. "Sarah, this isn't a question of who's to blame." 

"It isn't?" she snapped bitterly. 

He pinned her with a single sharp look. "It's about your ability to deal with the consequences of your actions. Like it or not, you took a lot from us." 

She stared at him numbly. "I never asked-" 

He didn't bother to look at her. "Sarah." The warning in his voice made her tremble. 

"All right, so I expected many things from all of you." She glanced away, wiping the tears that hung delicately on her eyelashes. "But I didn't mean it." 

"Say what you mean, Sarah, or this conversation has no purpose," he coaxed lightly. 

She stole a glance at the Goblin King. He no longer looked tired, or frustrated, or even darkly amused. All that was left was a carefully constructed mask of polite inattention. "I didn't intend for any of my wishes to be granted," she said softly. "I expected many things, and wanted many more, but I never thought they would all be true." 

"No, of course not." Nonchalantly, he added,"After all, it wasn't real to you, was it? You rationalized it as a dream, a fantasy, in the safe, dark hidden corners of your mind. Even stuck in the oubliette, or being chased by the cleaners, you believed deep down that nothing could touch you." 

_But that's where I was wrong. Hoggle and the others, they were the usual ragtag band of companions you'd expect in an adventure like that. You, on the other hand...you filled my every expectation, and it was our ruin._ Sarah gazed at him sadly and shook her head. 

"Everything has a price, Sarah," he said finally, and he raised his head, eyes meeting hers. "You cannot simply rearrange the Labyrinth and its inhabitants to suit your needs and then expect no repercussions." 

"Why now?" she demanded, frustrated. "Why tell me now that the Labyrinth still has something to do with me? It's been two years; I haven't heard from anyone since. You've been lurking around in the shadows, and now, just when I think I can move on, you throw this on my lap? Why?" 

"Because I cannot keep the Labyrinth at bay forever." 

Sarah's mind skidded to a sharp halt. "What do you mean?" 

The Goblin King shrugged elegantly and deftly avoided the question. "That I cannot tell you. But you should know that, while you _do _have time still to figure out your role in this affair, the clock is ticking very, very quickly, and this is a clock I have no power over." His sighed. "I assure you, I had hoped that this would be resolved without your ever knowing, but it seems that you need an extra boost, an extra shove in the right direction." His lips quirked upwards. "As I said, your intuition is sorely lacking in certain areas." 

Sarah stared at him, wide eyed. "What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, frightened. 

"Don't worry about it, for one thing," he smirked. "Just...consider things. People. Birds. Life. When the pieces fall into place the Labyrinth will be satisfied, and you can move on with your life." He tilted his head and smiled lazily. "Sarah, don't look so confused. In about a half hour your Christian will call you up, sort out the petty details of your date, and you will go and have fun and be a delightful little girl beside your delightful little boy." 

She blinked, and he was gone. She felt vaguely insulted by his 'little girl' and 'little boy' comments, but her mind was too busy trying to figure out the riddle that was the Labyrinth to be annoyed with him. 

A half hour later, her thought process was interrupted by Karen's delighted and smug call, "Sarah, there's a boy on the phone for you!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *stares wide eyed at fic* AAAAAGH! *takes on a news announcer persona* And today we saw Lunarwolf writing herself into a corner, an interesting development in the Laby-fic arena. *screams* This fic is just running away from me at a very steadily increasing pace. Yikes. 


	16. Now Would You Mind If I Bared My Soul

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Sixteen: Now Would You Mind If I Bared My Soul? 

Sarah fidgeted nervously, plucking at her peach-colored skirt as she waited outside the theater. It was a late Saturday afternoon, and various people milled about the multiplex, killing time before their movies. She and Christian had agreed on a 5:30 showing of the movie, and then heading out to dinner. She'd brought a small purse, with her wallet, chapstick, and a pack of tissues inside. Karen had tried very hard not to be smug about Sarah needing to borrow a purse, but the sly satisfaction had rolled off in waves. 

She glanced left and right, watching the people go by and their reflections in the glass windows mimic their movements. Where was he? She glanced at her watch; he wasn't late yet, but she was getting antsy. She stepped up on her tiptoes and caught a familiar, tousled head weaving through the crowd. A smile came unbidden to her lips, and she felt her heart speed up with anticipation. 

His muscled form popped out of the crowd and there he was, bathed in denim and cotton, a friendly grin adorning his face. His blue eyes lit up as they fell upon her, and took in her form appreciatively. She blushed, and tried to forget the fact that the only other time anyone had looked at her that way was in the peach-induced ballroom. "Hey, Sarah," he greeted, slowing as he reached her. "You look great!" he said enthusiastically. 

She smiled happily. "Thanks. Right back at you." She glanced at the entrance of the theater. "Shall we?" 

"Sure!" 

They walked in and got in line for tickets. At the window, Christian said,"Two for The Ring, please." He pulled out his wallet and counted the bills. 

"I can pay for my half," Sarah offered. 

He smiled at her. "No, that's okay, I've got it." He handed over the money and took the tickets. "Now, the most important part of the movie experience: Food," he intoned solemnly. 

Sarah giggled and allowed herself to be led to the snack counter. 

"Do you want popcorn?" he asked her. 

"Hm...no, I'm good." She leaned over the counter. "Could I get a pack of Raisinets, please?" She opened her purse and reached for her wallet. 

"I've got it," Christian offered. 

"Oh, no, I've got this one. You paid for the tickets." She smiled at him. 

He looked a little dumbfounded. "I can pay, really, it's not a big deal." He shifted his weight, a little uncertain. 

She gazed at him blankly as she handed the cashier a fiver. "It's okay, Christian, really it is." He frowned, sticking his thumbs into his belt loops insolently. Sarah couldn't figure out why he was being so stubborn, and she didn't like the set of his jaw. She smiled at him, relenting. It was their first date, after all. A little give and take wouldn't be too bad. "Tell you what, I could use a bottle of water." 

He relaxed and beamed at her. "All right. Go get us some seats, and I'll be right there. Theater four, right?" 

Sarah nodded. "I'll see you in a bit, then." She walked away, slightly puzzled and mildly annoyed. Was this some macho man thing, then? She entered the theater and found a couple of seats near the top section to the middle. Those would do just fine. She settled into them, wondering if perhaps Christian was just used to all the girls in his circle being complacent and happy to be taken care of. If that was the case, she needed to have a small talk with him about it. It wasn't that she didn't like being cared for, but rather that she felt it should be reciprocated, all things being equal. 

She spotted him walking into the theater and glancing around, his arms filled with popcorn and soda and her requested bottle of water. He glanced in her direction and she waved. He made his way to her and sat down, placing his soda in the cup holder and handing her the water. "Thanks," she said. 

"No problem," he grinned. 

The movie screen glowed a bright green as a message appeared, informing that the preview was suitable for all audiences. Sarah beamed. "Now this," she said knowingly,"Is the best part of the movie." 

"The previews?" 

"Of course!" She smiled slyly. "Most times, the previews show all the best scenes from a movie anyway. Saves you money in the long run." 

Christian shook his head with an amused smile. "You're so...strange." 

Sarah shrugged. "You like the popcorn, I like the previews. We're about even." 

They settled in to enjoy the movie. Sarah enjoyed the thrill of psychological fear, and was very grateful she had someone watching with her. At one point, she glanced at Christian. She swallowed nervously, gathering up her courage, and leaned over to whisper,"Would you mind if I borrowed your arm?" 

He cast her a delighted look, and started to lift his arm to drape it around her shoulders. Before it was up two inches Sarah had latched onto it, curling herself against his side. She looked up and smiled. "Thank you," she whispered, and returned her attention to the movie, missing the somewhat baffled look on her boyfriend's face. 

The rest of the movie passed fairly uneventfully, discounting the shrieks of terror and occasional startled jumping. 

Afterwards, as they exited the theater, Sarah's step had an extra little spring in it, and she beamed. 

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood," Christian commented with a bemused smile. 

She flashed her teeth at him. "It's the psychological high." 

"So you like scary movies?" 

"Only if they're still scary once the blood and gore are subtracted." Sarah fell into step beside him and shrugged. "A hack and slash film's thrill only lasts so long as the movie. But psychological fear...That, Christian, is _the_ way to go. Especially since you know, deep down, it's not real." _Unlike love. Unlike you. Unlike him._ She grinned. "So, where to?" 

He lifted his hand up in a thinking pose. "Hm," he mused,"Where to?" He considered it some more, then his eyes lit up. "I know!" He grinned at Sarah. "Follow me." He held out a strong, steady hand to Sarah. 

She glanced at it, blushed, and took it. It was a comforting feeling, having his strong fingers wrapped around hers. Comfort was nice. And her heart wasn't thudding with the frantic shyness and embarrassment of being with Christian anymore. There was a nice sense of steadiness flowing from his fingers to hers, and she appreciated it. Walking side-by-side in relaxed silence, the two teenagers headed off to their next destination. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Whoohoo! Yet another chappie!! *dances* *looks at random outline* Hm...ten more to go. 


	17. If I Came Right Out And Said You're Beau...

A/N: *peeks out* Um, gee, I'm embarrassed to be showing my face again. But good news! I finally figured out how to make this fic work! Rejoice, all ye faithful! *smiles sheepishly* That is, if there's anyone left willing to put up with my temperamental uploads... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Seventeen: If I Came Right Out and Said You're Beautiful 

Christian smiled shyly as Sarah gaped at the restaurant. It was a quaint fifties style diner, with television sets running clips of shows like I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver. The menu was simple enough, but the atmosphere was the real seller. The hubcaps lining the entrance and the huge finned car out in front practically screamed with classic joy. 

"Christian," Sarah said, laughter bubbling beneath her words,"This place is great!" She turned to face him, and his wide grin shot right through to her core, melting her down to a quivering ball of comfort and warmth. She picked up the menu and looked through it. A waitress in costume shortly appeared and asked perkily if they wanted to order. 

They placed their orders and waited for the food, enjoying the bustling of the staff and the loud laughter of accompanying tables. One table with a child had a loud round of 'Happy Birthday' sung by the wait staff, and then one the serenaders ended by throwing straw wrappers at the kid, who giggled with delight. 

Sarah interlaced her fingers and placed her elbows on the table. She glanced at one of the monitors where Lucille Ball was doing her best to hide from Ricky in a Japanese kimono. "I love watching 'I Love Lucy.' She's just so completely comical." 

"I know," he answered with a grin. "She's such a goofball." He picked up his fork and played with it. "I remember when I was little, my dad taped as many episodes as he could, and I would watch them. I think she was my first real crush." His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he concentrated on the fork, daring to glance up at Sarah only once. 

"That's so sweet!" Sarah exclaimed. 

"Hey, no elbows, miss!" 

Sarah and Christian blinked and stared at the waiter. "Huh?" Sarah fumbled. 

The waiter pointed at her elbows. "No elbows on the table. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" The twinkle in his eyes relaxed Sarah, and she sheepishly pulled her hands into her lap. "There we go, much better," he said contentedly. Then he raised his index finger. "But if I catch you placing your elbows on the table again," he warned mischievously,"To the corner you go!" He winked at Christian. "Keep her in line, boy." 

Sarah and Christian exchanged looks as the waiter left, and they burst into laughter. 

After dinner, Christian walked Sarah home. The sky was dark enough to see a smattering of stars, but the glare of the city bounced off the clouds and made any real astronomy impossible. 

Impossible, perhaps, for all but the true dreamers left in the world. "There's the summer triangle." Sarah moved her hand up and pointed. "At the tip is the Cygnus, the Swan. See it? It looks a bit like a cross." She glanced at Christian, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. 

He looked far from amused, however. His blue eyes were soft with wonder as he stopped on the sidewalk, gazing at Sarah. "You're amazing," he said softly. 

Sarah blushed in the dark, the bright color safely blending into the shadows. "Not really," she protested mildly,"I'm just me." 

"And so you are." Christian smiled softly as he took Sarah's hand in his. He brought it up to his face, studying it with his eyes and fingers. "You're so- magical. You know that? You're like some fairy princess come to earth to tease us poor, foolish mortals." 

The words rang in her head, bouncing back and forth in their echo until Sarah's mind was covered in dizzying gauze. "Oh," she breathed. The ground beneath her wobbled. "Really?" 

Christian chuckled as he lowered her hand and renewed his pace. She fell into step beside him dazedly. "Sarah, you're amazing. Pure and simple." 

It was the single most thoughtful, genuine compliment she'd ever been paid. So why was she not rejoicing? As they walked in companionable silence, a nagging concern bordering on cynicism nibbled at the edges of her consciousness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: I know, I know, this is taking forever and a day to get through. Would it help if I claimed it will all be worth it in the end? 


	18. Cuz There's Something Here I Can't Expla...

A/N: The big blowups are coming...Be warned. Be amazed. Be...interested? Please? *bats eyelashes and sniffles* 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Eighteen: Cuz There's Something Here I Can't Explain 

They stood awkwardly on the steps of Sarah's house. Christian shifted his weight, glancing at the door. "So." 

"So," Sarah echoed. She smiled. "I had a great time tonight, Christian." 

He grinned. "Me too." 

They stared at each other. The silence stretched into the night with the faint hum of cars and televisions echoing through the empty street. Then Christian bent forward hesitantly. Sarah stared at the incoming assault, bewildered, and at the last second turned her cheek so that his lips brushed against her face. 

At least, that had been the plan. 

She wasn't prepared for how _wet_ it felt, and she jumped back, cheeks aflame. Christian looked startled, and stepped back uncertainly. She glanced down. "Um, I'm sorry," she said, her tongue fumbling over the words,"You just took me by surprise." She looked up at him, hating the uncertainty, hating the tension in the air. 

Christian shrugged. "Hey, it's okay. My bad." He raised his hands up to deflect any protests. "It's fine, really." 

"I'm sorry-" 

He smiled and shook his head. "No, no, Sarah. It's my fault." He backed up and took a step down. "I should-" he paused. "I should probably get going." He waved at her once and strode down the street. 

Sarah stared after him helplessly, regret draping about her shoulders like a heavy cloak. She sighed and entered the house quietly, not wanting to talk to anyone. She crept through to the stairs, trying to avoid searching eyes and prying tongues. She fled up the stairs, making sure to step around the squeaky middle of the steps. 

The Goblin King awaited her in her room. 

"What are you doing here?" she moaned, closing the door and collapsing against it. He stared at her mutely, arms crossed as he stood against her vanity. His black shirt and black pants boded ill for his mood, the darkness matching the coldness in his eyes. 

He tilted his head slightly, sending shockwaves through his hair. "That was simply pathetic," he hissed, and she flinched, eyes wide at the surprising viciousness of his tone and words. "Don't you want that boy, Sarah?" he asked silkily, not moving a muscle as he stood there, an angry statue of black and white. In a low, melodic murmur, he added,"He wants you; I can taste his desire, feel his need; I can hear the echo of his heartbeat as he thinks of you." His mismatched eyes focused sharply on her again, and she jumped. The sheer intensity of his gaze frightened her. "And you want him, don't you Sarah?" 

And suddenly he was beside her, pulling her prone figure to him, cradling her in his arms like some rag doll. "Don't you want him, Sarah?" he asked, his face close enough to hers that her heart beat with a mixture of fear and desire. Even angry, he was beautiful to her. She swallowed and tried to breathe, doing her best to ignore the heat of his body against hers. The cold look in his eyes chilled her core even as her skin flushed with warmth. In a low voice, he said dreamily,"Or are you again merely toying with all of us, cruel mistress?" He removed one hand from her back and brought it up to trail one finger down the cheek where the wetness had long dried. Sarah's breath caught as the gloved finger barely brushed against her skin, charging the air with energy. 

She gasped for air; her lungs were constricting, she needed more air. She screwed her eyes shut and made a small, whimpering sound. 

What right did he have to do this to her? What right did he have to play his games first one way, then another? Wasn't he the cruel one toying with her? _Just who is it exactly that holds the power here?_

Sarah swallowed once and opened her eyes. She absently noted the pride she felt as she said in an almost steady voice,"Let go of me, Goblin King." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	19. I Feel I'm Diving Into Driving Rain

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Nineteen: I Feel I'm Diving Into Driving Rain 

His eyes narrowed and he smiled thinly. "Say that again, Sarah. I don't believe I'm hearing you correctly." He looked at the young woman in his arms, and gripped her chin, tilting her face up. "Repeat yourself, I pray you." 

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Sarah bit out the words firmly, harshly. She tried to jerk her head away, but his strong hand held her in place. 

His smile widened. "And if I don't?" He leaned closer, his breath falling on her lips, making her skin tingle. 

He must not have expected her reaction. Otherwise, he would have ducked the fist that came flying into his face. The shock allowed Sarah to push away from him and jump back, her breathing quick and light. The rules of the game had just changed. 

The Goblin King knelt there and placed a hand slowly to his cheek. He stared off as he said wonderingly,"You hit me." After pondering this for a few minutes, he slowly stood up and let his hand fall to his side. He stared at Sarah. "You hit me," he said again, eyes narrowing as they fell upon Sarah's defensive posture. "Sarah..." he growled as he took a menacing step forward. 

Her voice wavered. "Enough, Goblin King." He stilled, and watched her silently, his face a placid mask. Sarah took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "You came into my life first by kidnapping my brother and sending me through a maze. I may have asked that, but I never, _ever_ expected my wishes to be granted." She swallowed hard and continued, her voice softened but steadier. "You turn my world upside down of your own free will, and then demand that _I_ bear responsibility. Then you come back into my life as I'm trying to move on, and you disrupt my every thought as you hover like some menacing Puck of old." Sarah straightened and looked directly into his eyes. Quietly, firmly, she said,"Leave me be, Goblin King. That is what I wish. Take yourself out of my life, and let us both move on." Sarah blinked back tears. 

He stared at her, then tilted his head back and laughed mockingly. "Sarah, Sarah, even if _I_ leave you alone," he smirked,"Your Labyrinth won't." 

"I still don't believe the Labyrinth has anything to do with me," she responded quietly. 

"It has everything to do with you," he snapped. "I told you already, you can't just change the Labyrinth to suit your needs and expect to walk away scot-free! It claims you, Sarah!" 

Frustration boiled up within her. "No, it doesn't!" she yelled. She pounced forward, muscles tight with tension. Her quiet and threatening stride backed the wary Goblin King to the wall. "That is most likely yet another lie or half truth you formulated just to keep me in your life." She gestured sharply with a single hand, rage filling her body. Too much. This was just too much. Ever since he'd reappeared, her life had just been too much. "Damn it, Goblin King, I don't want or need you. I don't need your gifts and pranks, your so-called generosity and the price I have to pay for it; I don't want your Labyrinth, your claims and lies," she inhaled and added sharply,"and I certainly don't want _you_!" 

The words hung in the room like the damp odor of the Bog of Eternal Stench, foul and permeating. Sarah's eyes widened as she took a stumbling step backwards, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping. The Goblin King stood there, an odd, calm look on his face. The words rang through the room like the muddy distortion of a song, filling the silence with curious dread. 

_Oh, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it. You can't think I meant it._ Sarah felt her eyes tear up again as the words swirled in her mind and shied away from her mouth. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it._ Why weren't the words coming forth? The sinking sensation in her stomach should have been aiding her diaphragm, right? She didn't want it to end this way. Not with hateful, brash untrue words. She stared at him mutely, her brown eyes wide open to take in his still form. The stillness was awful; she would rather he was again that fearsome statue of black and white crackling with anger than to see him so still and lifeless. 

He finally met her horrified eyes, sighed, and smiled pleasantly at her. With an elegant bow, he said softly, firmly,"As my lady wills it." 

And he was gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *blink blink* wow, this was a hard chapter to write. I'm not good at arguments because, well, I don't really get into them very often. And when I get mad, my mind gets...blank. I run on some weird reptilian autopilot, and whatever happens just sorta becomes fuzzy images in my brain afterwards. So, um, yeah. Hope you...enjoyed? 


	20. You Get My Senses Running Wild

A/N: Spiraling, spiraling.... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twenty: You Get My Senses Running Wild 

A week later, Sarah missed coming home to find the Goblin King lounging on her bed, on against her dresser, stretched out catlike on the floor. 

Two weeks later, Sarah missed the unnerving sensation she was being watched. 

It took her another week to admit that she missed the bastard in every way. 

"Canaret, if I ask you something, will you promise not to laugh?" Sarah asked as she leaned over the cafeteria table, her head bowed. The cafeteria bustled with people frantically shoveling down their food. Sarah's dark corner moved at a slower, more sedate pace as the blackness shifted imperceptibly to indulge in nourishment. 

Canaret smiled. "Sure. I promise. What's up?" She brought her box of apple juice up to her mouth and sucked on the straw. 

Sarah sighed, lifted her head up slightly, and then averted her gaze. Quietly, she asked,"How can you tell if you're really over your first love and all that you feel is lingering affection for them? Or how can you tell if you're still...well, if you never got over them?" 

Canaret paused, pulling the straw out of her mouth as she considered her friend. Sarah looked weary, troubled, and very much confused. "This is serious, isn't it?" she asked softly. 

Sarah nodded her head once and nibbled at her lower lip. 

Canaret leaned forward. "Well, you're dating Christian now, right? His group's finally accepting that." She tilted her head and glanced at the elite circle scornfully. "The girls are apparently having hissy fits because they're all losing money in the betting pool about how long you'd last." That got a weak chuckle from Sarah, and Canaret smiled reassuringly. "Sarah, first loves are tricky. I have a question for you, then: Why did you start dating Christian?" 

Sarah blinked. "Because I liked him," she said slowly. "You know this." 

Canaret nodded. "Humor me, Sarah. What do you like about him?" 

"He's cute," she admitted. "And he's fairly intelligent, friendly, considerate to some extent." Canaret raised a single eyebrow, and Sarah blushed. "Okay, when it's convenient he's considerate. He has nice strong hands that make me feel safe when I'm with him." 

"Does he bear any resemblance to the guy who's your first love?" 

Sarah shook her head, her lips quirking upwards at the thought. "They're as different as two people can be." She sighed, thinking. "He was...inconsiderate because he was considerate, mean because he wanted to be nice, smart enough to be outsmarted." Sarah shook her head. "He makes me feel safe because he's...well, he's a known terror." She smiled ironically. "And don't ask me to explain; it's a long, long story." 

Canaret blinked. "Okay..." She sat back and studied Sarah. "So, Sarah, Christian makes you feel safe. This guy threatens you." Sarah nodded slowly. "So, is Christian a shield?" 

"No!" Sarah exclaimed. She gripped the edge of the table tightly. "No, he's not a shield. I _do_ like him for him." How could she not like the way his face lit up when she was around? How could she not like the sweet hugs, strong hands, the smile he had whenever he thought she was wonderful and strange and special? 

"Yes, but is that due in part because he is, as you put it, safe?" Canaret watched as her friend reluctantly mulled over the idea. "Sarah, let me ask you another question: Who do you think of first and foremost?" 

Sarah stilled. Then, slowly, she lifted her head up, trying very hard to smile and blinking back tears. "I messed up big time," she whispered, her voice creaking with ache and regret. "Just like I always do when it comes to him." She laughed weakly. 

Canaret's eyes widened and she leaned forward, concerned. "Sarah?" 

"I didn't want to admit it to myself," she continued absently, more talking to herself than to her friend. "I was still half mad with love for him, and nothing's ever scared me as much as that. I told him he had no power over me once, and he kept trying to show that I was the one with power over him. 

"But in the end," Sarah's smile wavered,"He's the one with the power, after all." And she bent her head over and started weeping. She placed her face in her hands. "It's like he's all I can breathe, all I can hear, all I can feel and think and I've lost him for good this time." Canaret jumped up and slid into the seat next to Sarah, hugging her fiercely. "What am I going to do, Canaret?" She looked up, searching for answers. 

Canaret swallowed, gazing at her friend's tear-stained face. "I don't know, Sarah. Can you talk to this guy?" 

Sarah laughed hollowly. "I haven't seen or heard from him in three weeks. Before that, he was always around. Always. I couldn't get rid of him. Now he's gone." She sighed. "I can't do this to Christian. Maybe he's precisely what I need." 

"Maybe," murmured Canaret. "But do you need Christian as a pillar of support or a catalyst for change, Sarah?" 

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Mwahahahaha!!! Kept you guessing, for a while, ne? 


	21. I Can't Resist Your Sweet, Sweet Smile

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twenty One: I Can't Resist Your Sweet, Sweet Smile 

"Sarah, walk you home?" Christian asked as he trotted across the courtyard, a happy smile on his face. 

She smiled at him. "All right." The afternoon sun streamed molten gold onto the pavement, melting the edges of shadows and creating the dark shapes all at once. Their sneakers treaded softly on the pavement, feet curving into the porous concrete with every step of the way. The air was heavy with languid warmth and hummed with the small, cluttered sounds of suburban life. 

It was such a happy afternoon, Sarah couldn't stand it. "Christian, we need to talk." 

He glanced at her serious face and his good cheer faltered. "Sarah, them's fighting words," he said, trying to make light of it. 

She sighed. "Look, I need to talk to you, all right?" She smiled gently. 

He balked. "Why?" 

"Not here, Christian. C'mon, let's sit on the swings at the playground." She took his hand and tugged him after her. He allowed himself to be led to the playground. 

The jungle gym was occupied by three girls shrieking as they chased each other over the metal bars in some strange rendition of tag. A mother read a book as her son rode a tricycle around in front of her. The swings hung empty in the wind and dying light, swaying slightly. Sarah dumped her bag at one of the supporting poles and sat down, gripping the chains loosely. Christian dropped his bag in the mulch covered surface as well, and sat down in the swing beside her. 

Sarah kicked back and started swinging, loving the way the wind felt as she swooped towards the ground. She smiled and glanced at Christian, who watched her with an amused expression on his face. Her cheeks tinted pink. "I haven't been on a swing in _ages._ I'd forgotten how...liberating it feels." She brought herself to a rocky halt and kicked at the mulch, digging the tips of her sneakers into the brown chips. 

He had that look of awe on his face again, Sarah noticed with a sigh. "You're amazing," he said. 

"So you tell me." She averted her eyes and stared at the mulch. "Christian, if I ask you a question, will you answer me honestly?" 

"Well, that certainly doesn't sound good," he commented, sitting back in the swing. He reached his arms straight up and gripped the chains high above his head. He shrugged. "All right. Sure." 

"Why do you like me?" 

Christian stared at her. "What, are you kidding?" 

She pushed back and forth, rocking the swing into a mild motion. "You said you'd answer me." 

"Because you're wonderful," he said finally. "You're funny, goofy, serious and strange. You have a thousand different smiles, one for every possible occasion." He opened and shut his mouth and looked up at the sky helplessly. "I don't know. You're like a dream come true, a fairy princess from all the stories that I got read as a kid." 

"Are you my prince, then?" 

"Heck no." Christian grinned. "I'm your knight in shining armor." 

Sarah gazed at him quietly. _Just stop, Christian, stop before you dig yourself too deep a hole to ever climb out of._

He continued, staring off into the distance. "I don't know, Sarah. You're like some... magical being," he declared,"-who occasionally deigns to interact with us mere mortals." 

"So I remind you of Lucky and Cinderella?" 

He grinned. "Yeah, I guess you do. But you're more regal than that." 

Sarah shook her head and sighed. "I thought so." She avoided his gaze. "Christian, I have a couple of things to say to you. And please, hear me out. 

"One: I like you. I really, really do. But the funny thing is, you don't really like me." She held up a hand. "Let me finish. You have this idealized girl in your mind which I apparently come close to, but you stop at the resemblance." She sighed and shrugged. "From day one you stopped trying to see the girl behind of the layers of visions you've got layered over me, and you just seem to keep adding more images of me that, really, I'm not. I'm not a fairy princess, I'm not Lucite Ball. I am not some goddess to be worshipped nor am I some queen to be revered. But you don't seem to want to see Sarah, the girl." She smiled sadly at him and then glanced away. "As flattering as the worship is, I can't take much more of it." 

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and he opened his mouth to object. "I'm not done, yet, Christian." She swallowed as her eyes glistened in the fading light. "Second: As much as I like you, I've been dating you under false pretenses. I'm still in love with someone who will no longer give me a second look. I screwed up with him majorly, and I think I wound up using you as a security blanket." She dropped her head. "I don't think it's fair to either of us to continue dating." 

Christian's jaw dropped. After a few attempts, he worked up a smile. "You're kidding, right, Sarah? Did Tom or one of those other idiots put you up to this?" His eyes narrowed. "Did the girls make you say this?" 

Sarah shook her head and gripped the chains of the swing tightly. "Christian..." 

"That's bullshit, Sarah!" He jumped up. "You brought me here to _break up_ with me? Who the hell is this guy that has you wrapped around his finger?" 

She studied him sadly. "That bothers you, doesn't it, that some person has power over me." 

He snarled. "You're above that, Sarah!" 

"No I'm not, Christian." She furiously wiped away the tears that had spilled over, and she took two shallow breaths. "I told him once he had no power over me, but it was a lie. He's always had power over me. Ever since I met him, he's always been at the edge of my consciousness, gnawing at me from the inside out." She looked sharply up at him. "Do you think I want to hurt you?" she demanded. "I was going to try to forget him, if you'd really liked me." She dropped her head against the chain. "But you don't," she whispered. "You like what you think I represent." 

"That's not true!" he protested. "I think you're wonderful the way you are-" 

"You don't even want to see what I am!" she retorted sharply. "Every time I do something slightly bizarre you chalk it up to my 'strange wonderfulness,' instead of just accepting it as a part of me. _You_ believe the government and the aliens are in on some conspiracy. You're plenty weird; you just don't look for it. You look for all the weirdness in life in me!" She laughed hysterically as a thought popped into her head and out her mouth. "I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations, Christian!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: *wide eyes* Did I write this? 


	22. So Take This Feeling N' Make It Grow

A/N: I know that a lot of you are cheering loudly about the demise of C/S relationship. Don't deny it! This means you! But hey, I can understand. I've been waiting to mess up their relationship for the longest time. *grins* I had quite a few of you worried, didn't I? Nope, this crazy little dreamer believes in J/S or nothing at all! Now, whether all will go well for our heroine and her object of affection remains to be seen... 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twenty Two: So Take This Feeling, 'N Make It Grow 

They weren't talking to each other. 

Word spread through the high school like wildfire, and trickled even into the middle school through siblings and future social climbers. Sarah found herself the target of more nasty notes than ever, and her knees were getting bruised from the number of times she was tripped a day. Her locker was stuffed hourly with notes and threats and there had been a couple of nasty smelling substances she really, really didn't want to investigate. The rumors flew fast and furious: a few of those outside the social elite circles blamed Christian for pushing Sarah too far and soundly declared that he deserved to be dumped. Those within the social elite and most of the remaining students, however, told a different story: how Christian was tricked into the relationship by Sarah, and how she dumped him when she was bored with him. 

Which Canaret found vastly ironic, considering it was more likely for a person like Sarah to be dumped by a person like Christian, but she didn't voice her opinions. Sarah walked around in a cloud of gloom, almost completely unaware of the swirling mass of ill will directed at her. The pain rolling off the brunette was palpably bitter, and Canaret was at a loss how to cheer her friend up. 

"Sarah, is there anything I can do?" she asked tentatively as Sarah ducked the mass of hate mail pouring out of her locker. 

She shrugged and bent down to collect the pile of papers. "Not really. It all comes down to me, him, and him." She sighed. "I seem to have a talent for screwing things up." She straightened and took the pile of papers to a nearby trash can, already half-full with similar notes. "Now I just need to figure out a way to fix it." 

Canaret raised an eyebrow and licked her black lips. "So, you're going to try to get back together with Christian?" 

Sarah shook her head. "No. But I do need to apologize to him." 

"So you're going to get together with your first love guy?" 

A sad smiled graced her features. "I wish." She paused. 

_The question is, rather, as always, what do _you_ want?_

"....Canaret, I'm going to talk to Christian today. Can you stall him at the quad at the end of the day?" 

Canaret swallowed. "You _do _realize there's going to be a major audience for this spectacle, right?" 

Sarah smiled grimly. "I know. He'll feel safer." The bell rang, and she looked up. "I have class. Just remember to hang around at the end of school, okay?" She grabbed some books from her locker and slammed it shut. 

Canaret stared as Sarah disappeared into the masses of skittering students, wincing as Sarah's brown head dropped down sharply twice. "Okay...." She glanced around helplessly, pulling at the cords of her red velvet corset. "An hour until school ends. No problem." She sighed and made her way to the quad, stepping delicately around the kids napping openly on the grass. She settled under the cool shade of a tree and waited, idly watching as the school building oozed bright red blood down the sides. "Pretty..." she commented. 

An hour later, she spotted Christian moving in a pack with his buds, and she cursed soundly under breath. The things she did for friendship's sake... She gathered her black lace skirt up and pushed herself to her feet. She walked quickly towards the fast-moving pack. "Christian!" 

The killer looks his burly buddies gave her were blithely ignored as she focused on Christian. 

"Yes?" he asked quietly. "What do you want?" 

Canaret sighed. "Look, Sarah needs to talk to you." 

"That bitch?" exclaimed Tom. "Hell, no!" 

She saw how Christian's mask faltered and the pain that flashed through his eyes. Her gaze softened. "Tom, shut up." 

"Or you'll do what, psychopath?" 

Canaret paused, then turned to smile slowly at him. "Ah," she said quietly,"Don't you ever wonder what exactly it is we do with our spikes and chains? I'd be more than happy to demonstrate." 

Tom flushed and he took an uncertain step back. "Keep away from me, psy-" 

"Silence," she demanded softly, and he complied, wide eyed. Without another glance she turned back to Christian, who unfortunately also looked frightened. "Oh, don't worry," she smiled reassuringly,"I won't do anything to you. Sarah wouldn't be too happy about that." 

Said girl came running down the steps of the school building. Sarah scrambled to catch Christian's group, who all looked strangely frightened. She blinked, then sighed with exasperation. _Canaret just can't help herself, can she?_

__Sarah slowed to a cautious walk as she became aware that she was the focal point of all the MTV generation attention spans in the quad. The air compressed and layered with tension and anxiety, excitement and malevolence. The afternoon sun brought the scene to a boil, churning all the thoughts and emotions of the teenagers in the quad that day. 

She stopped at a safe distance of four feet from the group. She smiled gently. "Hi, Christian." 

Tom opened his mouth to make some snide comment, but a single sharp glare from Canaret shut his mouth. Christian nodded warily. "Sarah." He acknowledged her reluctantly. 

The smile slipped from her face, and she sighed. Let the true words come, this time. She felt her awareness of the world around them fall away; there was only the person she'd wronged horribly. "I just wanted to apologize to you, Christian. It was my stupidity that let the relationship get as far as it did when it should never have even begun." She smiled bitterly. "It certainly wasn't fair of me to date you when my own feelings were still in such a massive tangle. If you hate me, I can understand. I never wanted to hurt you," she blinked back tears as she met his pained gaze. "I never, never wanted to hurt you. I _do_ like you. I really do. But I lost myself to someone else a long, long time ago, and have been in sheer denial about that for years." She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, ignoring the wide-eyed stares from everyone within hearing distance, ignoring the hushed waves of voices as words traveled through the crowd, relaying her words to gossip-eager ears. When she opened her eyes again, she was smiling. "I'm an idiot; I told you that from day one. I've done more stupid things in the past three years than any person should be allowed in a lifetime. 

"I'm trying not to be stupid anymore." She swallowed and met his eyes hesitantly. "I'm not asking for forgiveness, or even understanding. That's yours to give, not mine to request. I keep forgetting that most of the things I demand from people aren't really mine to want. But I do want to apologize to you. I can do that much, at least. I can hope that, maybe, you can forgive me eventually. But I don't expect it." She took a step back and glanced away. "That's about all I wanted to say." She turned to walk away. 

After a brief pause, she heard,"You were right, you know." She turned to face him, as surprised as any of the witnesses present. Christian struggled to find to the words. "You were a dream come true, Sarah," he said softly, avoiding the dumbfounded looks of his friends. "But I thought you were my dream come true, and that's where I messed up. You're a dream come true, all right," he smiled bitterly,"You're just not mine." 

The pain settled, the wounds began to scar. The scabs would be picked at for a time to come, but eventually would heal with a slight scar, a small reminder of what had been. And both knew that as much pain was involved, they wouldn't trade the scars for the world. Sarah gave him a small smile, and began the walk home alone. 

There was almost a bounce in her step, she felt so relieved. She hadn't messed up, for once. They would be strangers now, but, maybe once the pain had faded and memories softened, they could smile at each in the hallways again. 

She inhaled and gathered her courage. There was just one more matter to fix. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N:....The next and final four chapters will be fun, painful, and rewarding, I promise...at least for me. I can't believe this thing is almost done...Almost tempted to put out a new chapter every month for the next four months, to keep this thing alive...Just kidding! I don't think I'd survive the death threats from all the J/S fans! 


	23. I've Been Waiting All My Life

A/N: *sigh* Hey all. I've been busy with a internet-less Thanksgiving break and massive papers to write these past couple of weeks. I still have tests to study for, but I think I can afford to give you impatient people another chappy. 

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twenty Three: I've Been Waiting All My Life 

Sarah took a deep breath and looked around her room. There were a couple of possible routes to the Labyrinth: the mirror, the window, and the closet. She considered each carefully, wondering how she would pull off the impossible and slip into the Labyrinth. He'd told her she had power over the Labyrinth, just as it had power over her. So theoretically, it would answer her when she called. 

The question was, then, how she should call. As she stared at the mirror, her brow crinkled with thought, she remembered Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus's offer to be there whenever she should need them. But truthfully, she hadn't called on them since the final night, the victory celebration. And the specific rule was,"_Should you need us,"_ and Sarah was slightly ashamed to realize that the rule didn't apply here. She didn't need them, not for her confrontation with the Goblin King. Besides, as wonderful as they were, her Labyrinth friends might not have the ability to let her through. 

She moved to the window. Once, it had served as her portal to that strange, illogical world of twisted rules and bended words. He had let her through the window; his power had driven the journey. She smiled ironically. _Considering I'm going to go see him, it's probably against _some_ set of rules for him to help me._ Sarah sighed, shoulders slumping. _That, and he's not even paying attention to me. He likely wouldn't even hear me if I called, much less oblige me._

Finally, she came to the closet. In the oubliette, Hoggle had placed a plank of wood up against the stone walls and opened it twice, once to reveal a broom closet and once to reveal an exit. She wondered if the device could be replicated. "Well," she reassured herself optimistically,"Won't know 'til you try!" 

She went to her desk and took a sheet of paper from the drawer. Then she grabbed a black magic marker and wrote in large letters,"To the Labyrinth." She capped the pen and looked at her handiwork musingly. Then she took a piece of tape and taped the handmade sign to the closet door. She stepped back, biting her lower lip nervously. 

The closet door waited patiently as Sarah gathered her courage. She didn't know what she would do if the door didn't work. She didn't know what she would do if the door _did_ work. But she had to go forward, to go back to the place where it all began. Eyes closed tightly, she reached a hand forward and turned the knob. 

A shallow breath later she opened her eyes cautiously, squinting into the distance. Before her lay the Labyrinth in all its dusty gold walls, and the sharp-edged castle at the very center, very peak of it. A wave of relief swept through her and she almost collapsed, her knees were so weak. She stared out over the Labyrinth. It took her breath away. Unbidden, memories and images sprung to mind, and an odd, nostalgic calm settled over her. If she wanted to, could she come anytime she wanted? Could she leave the world behind her, step into this different and strange place whenever the urge overtook her? 

She shook her head. One step at a time. Smiling, she glanced downwards and echoed her words from her last traverse of the Labyrinth: "Come on, feet." 

Sarah walked down to the entrance of the Labyrinth. The fairies were there, as before. They buzzed about, little pretty baubles of light and gauze. Sarah warily avoided them, remembering the ferocity of their bites. They, however, didn't ignore her. 

One flitted to hover about Sarah's head and twittered cheerfully. Sarah ducked and waved the fairy away, but only lured another to fly about her head. Then another, and another, until she was surrounded by a ephemeral cloud of magic and wings. Frustrated, she demanded,"Oh, what do you want?" The fairies merely smiled, twittered, and bounced through the air. Annoyed, Sarah stalked to the door and pulled it open. As she escaped through the door she thought she heard a cluster of high pitched voices whisper thinly after her,"About time you came back!" Startled, she turned and peered at the fairies just before the doors closed. After a confused pause, she shook her head and looked down the long corridor. Where to? 

She walked to the right and ducked through a wall. She looked around, somewhat exasperated. Did she have a time limit this time? Or could she spend as long as she needed trying to get through the damn thing? Even so, she really, really didn't want to spend forever in the Labyrinth; she had more important things to do. 

"'Ello there!" 

Sarah stilled, then turned to meet the little green worm. She smiled with recognition. "Hello again! How's the missus?" 

"Quite well, quite well, would you like to come in and have a cup o' tea?" 

"I'm afraid I have pressing matters," Sarah said reluctantly,"But I promise, once everything's sorted out, I'll come by for that cup of tea." 

The worm tilted its head and studied her. He nodded. "All right, your word is good." 

Sarah smiled ruefully. "I don't suppose you could tell me how to get to the Goblin City, could you?" 

The worm smiled. "Quite right, quite right. Go left and you'll go right to that nasty little castle." 

Sarah stared at the passageway. "You mean, if I had gone this way last time, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble?" She turned back to the worm, annoyed, and complained,"You told me to never go that way!" 

The worm inched forward on the jutting brick of the wall. "Sure I did. Y'weren't here just to go straight to the castle. That'd defeat the whole purpose of ye being here!" 

Thinking about it, Sarah had to agree that the worm was right. "But this time I need to talk to him first." 

"Indeed, indeed. The left path is yours to take, then. Go and do your business, miss, and come back for a cup of tea sometime." The worm crawled into a small hole and disappeared. 

Sarah grinned. "All right. Thanks." She turned and walked down the passageway, heart thudding. Did she have the right words this time? It was always the words. Always, always. And she seemed to have a knack for finding the wrong ones. 

She saw that walls changed their position after each blink, creating a straight, simple path towards the castle for her. She saw, but took no note. Her mind was too preoccupied. Her feet moved autonomously, detaching themselves from the silent central control. The castle loomed in the rapidly shortening distance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Almost there. Almost there....I'm not kidding. 


	24. To Make This Moment Feel So Right

Don't Let Go 

Chapter Twenty-Four: To Make This Moment Feel So Right 

Sarah found herself all too soon at the castle gates. She swallowed hard, clenching and unclenching her fists. The tall doors, heavy and ominous, waited patiently. _Come on, Sarah. You've come too far to turn back._ She gathered her courage and stared up at the doors. Ludo wasn't here this time to lend his strength in forcing open the doors. Timidly, she raised a hand to knock. The doors opened just before her knuckles hit it, and she stood frozen as the gate swung open to reveal an army of goblins awaiting her. 

And an army indeed they were. There was no evidence of the chaos she'd encountered her first round through. They were arranged into three sections of straight rows and columns, weapons at the ready, each still and quiet and intent on her. Sarah felt faint. This was an army entirely unlike the one she'd managed to outthink last time. This was a serious army, a force to be reckoned with. Worse still, she didn't have Ludo and his rocks this time, nor Didymus' psychotic valor. She wasn't expected to fight her way through, was she? 

She took a tentative step forward, and stiffened when the Goblins, as one, raised their weapons in one swift motion. They took no further action as she planted her feet and considered the living barrier. Perhaps if she asked... "Please," she said softly,"I need to see the king." 

"No, you don't," said one deep voice, ringing through the otherwise silent ranks. 

"He doesn't want to see you," said another, more shrilly voice. The air was sharp with tension. Each voice could be heard clearly in the heavy silence. 

"You may belong to the Labyrinth, but our King does not belong to you," added a third. 

"Begone! You are not welcome here!" chorused the first line of each battalion. 

"Trespasser," yelled three voices in unison. 

"Traitor!" hissed another. 

They fell silent as they lowered their weapons, ready to block her again if need be. Sarah stared at them helplessly. "Look, I really, really need to talk to your king." She bit her lower lip. "I came to make peace with him," she offered timidly. She took another step forward. 

They raised arms again. "The only peace you'll find here is the peace of death," a single, gravelly voice snarled. 

"That's enough!" Sarah cried angrily. "Let me through!" She walked recklessly forward, towards all the sharp points and knife edges and cannons. The goblins waited for her to come to them, neither retreating nor advancing. "I'm not going to run this time! I need to talk with him, and you're _not_ going to stand in my way!" Her mind raced, frantically trying to think of a way through this mess. If she belonged to the Labyrinth and thereby the Labyrinth belonged to her, and the goblins were a part of the Labyrinth, then didn't they have to answer to her? She raised her eyes to meet the army. "I want you out of my way," she commanded in what she hoped was an authoritative voice. 

"You commit foolish actions, woman-child," warned one goblin. 

"Our king's Labyrinth is not your Labyrinth," seconded another. 

"Two different spheres of reality," whispered a third. 

"One land," added two goblins in the wings. 

"Two minds," roared a goblin behind a cannon. 

"Two territories," hissed another. 

"Begone! This territory welcomes you not!" they yelled in unison. 

Sarah surged forward. "I don't care! I've got to talk to him! _Let me through!_" She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch as the spears skewered her flesh. When she didn't feel anything, she opened her eyes cautiously, and stumbled backwards. 

The three groups had split right down the middle, lining a path to the castle in neat formation. They were silent, their eyes staring straight ahead, ignoring the confused and frightened girl as she summoned her courage and walked down the cleared path. 

Sarah frequently checked to see if the goblins would attack her, but they remained still as statues. She was amazed to see them so organized, but felt little surprise. The Goblin King had granted her the last victory, the last journey to self discovery. One girl against such an army was not likely to succeed, and so he'd changed his world for her in yet another way. She finally came to the gates of the castle itself, and they opened of their own accord. Sarah stared at them, her feet firmly planted in the ground. Was this an invitation or a trap? She shook her head. She didn't think trickery would be involved this time. It was just him, her, and, maybe, the right words. 

Sarah swallowed hard and entered. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Tada! This was a fun chapter to write. Is the whole Labyrinth-property thing making some twisted sense to people now? If not, please let me know. I don't want to explain it away, but confusion isn't my purpose either. 


	25. The Feel of You Fills the Night

A/N Ah, the truth: three years later, the writing in this story appalls me, the characterizations make me cringe with shame, and the fandom is no longer one I'm rabid about.

That said, I've always _hated_ it when stories end without reason or warning. It's taken me three years, but I'm back if only to finish this. Many thanks for all your patience for these last two chapters.

Don't Let Go

Chapter Twenty-five: The Feel of You Fills the Night

The air shifted as she stepped over the threshold, and she paused as she saw the shadows glide over the walls. The once-straight and direct hallway vanished behind cold walls sliding into her path. Sarah vaguely recalled the walls in the Labyrinth giving way to her urgency; clearly no help could be sought here. This was the King's part of the Underground; his magic and his will melded with that of the Labyrinth. Magic took the path of least resistance, and with the multiple layers of magic woven throughout the realm, the space most immediate to the key influencers was bound by that magic. The castle was heavily interlaced with his magic, and Sarah could feel her ties to the lines of magic dim in response to the overwhelming majesty and anger trapped in the stone walls.

She took a deep breath and pressed on into the castle. With her connection to the Labyrinth reduced, she felt oddly naked, and she resisted the temptation to wrap her arms around herself. The path in front of her feet kept changing without notice, as walls vanished and appeared without warning, and furniture unexpectedly swerved into her shins.

It was when she felt the bruises swell underneath her jeans that she decided she was being silly. She stopped right in front of a plush red carpet whose edge was rumpled to trip her. "Okay," she said with some exasperation into the sulky, weighted air. "Let's make this easier on all of us. I'm just here to talk with the Goblin King. Give me two minutes, and if he still wants me gone, I'll go. You can all shove me out then."

Her words hung in the air, trapped and echoed and largely ignored. She couldn't verify it, but the walls felt closer, and suddenly the walkway seemed much narrower on all sides.

She tried again, desperation taking its toll. "You _can't_ keep me out forever! I _need_ to talk with him!"

Curiously, the walls stilled, and an odd silence wafted through.

Sarah felt a tingle of Something, and she blindly reached for it. "You _will_ let me in and I _will_ talk with him!"

Words have a tendency to shape reality, echoing the force of belief. Nowhere was this more true than the Underground, and though the Goblin King's will controlled the castle indomitably, the force of Sarah's demands created a tiny rent in the fabric of magic blanketing the stones.

That little tear jarred the smooth transitions of magic moving within the walls, and the furniture stumbled in time to the slow pulsing of Sarah's lingering words.

"_Get out of my way!_"

Sarah inhaled sharply as the path straightened without moving, the furniture fell back in order without skittering across the floor, and the walls made way without bending. She glared sharply at the still-snagged carpet, and was gratified to see with the next blink that the material smoothed out.

She continued forward down the hallway, nervous but determined. Ahead of her loomed a giant set of wooden double doors, with meticulously wrought iron handles in the shape of disdainful lions. No other hallways branched out from her current path; her goal must have been behind those doors.

The lions snarled at her as she reached for them. "Oh, hush," she admonished mildly. "You heard me; if he wants to kick me out, he can." Her words hardly mollified the door handles, but they stilled under her gaze, glaring for all they were worth. She ignored them and pushed the right door open.

The room was unexpected, but fitting: Sarah had found the remains of the Escher room. Broken pillars stood upright beside fallen columns, and pieces of white cement spun lazily in the air against a backdrop of stars and space. There was a raised tablet in the center –did the room have a center?– and draped across the milky white slab was the Goblin King on his back, one hand flung out to the side to idly juggle two crystal balls.

Relief swept through her body. She had been worried that the castle would merely lead her right back outside. Her brown eyes drank his figure in wistfully. If all went well…

But there were no guarantees. There never were, not with the Goblin King.

The silence stretched out between them. She knew he was aware of her presence; he had fixed his mismatched eyes on her when she entered the space. He was leaving the next step up to her, which was manipulative and selfish of him.

And perfectly reasonable. She had stormed his castle; she owed him the courtesy of stating her purpose. Her courage was failing her, but that was beside the point. If she'd learned anything from him, it was that courage really didn't have any bearing on the choices she made and actions she took. She didn't need courage to mouth off to him, nor bravery to save Toby.

It boiled down to desire; in the end, that was all that mattered.

She inhaled, and broke the silence, timidity causing a slight wobble in her voice. "I wanted to talk with you, Goblin King."

He turned his head to face her fully, an eyebrow raised in careful consideration. "Oh?" Careless elegance colored the one syllable.

Sarah swallowed and glared at him, her frustration simmering beneath her skin. "I wanted to talk with you," she repeated, the wobble more pronounced this time, but she ploughed ahead, the words spilling forth, and none of them the right words. "I _needed_ to. I needed to come and see you, and speak with you, and ask you questions." Her desperate explanations tumbled clumsily into the cold space, and her mind raced. What was she doing wrong?

He rolled his eyes and languidly pulled up into a sitting position. He propped one arm up against a raised knee, and snorted indelicately. "Questions? What more will my cruel mistress ask of me?" He cast a sardonic gaze on her as he slouched over his knee. "More favors? More wishes? More dreams to fulfill?" He barked a sharp laugh before adding bitterly,"Do tell, dear Sarah. You invaded my home; this must certainly be an overwhelming desire."

If he had expected anger, or hoped for pleas, he was disappointed when Sarah grinned brilliantly. "I'm not here to ask anything _of_ you. I'm here to ask you one question, and that's all. I have no right to expect you to fulfill any more dreams or help me in any way. I know what I should have asked the first time around; I'm only sorry it took me so long to realize the right words." She took another breath, brown eyes fixed on mismatched blue and green ones, and she smiled gently.

"What is it that _you_ want, Jareth?"

His head snapped upright, and he stared at her.


End file.
